Two autistic young people are celebrating success after securing their first jobs with the help of a supported internship programme.
Sophie and Prince recently graduated from the work-based study programme set up by Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for autistic children and young people.
Ambitious about Autism, which is based in Muswell Hill, established the supported internship programme to help tackle the alarmingly low employment rates among autistic people. Currently, only 29% of autistic people are in any form of work.
Supported internships are courses aimed at young people aged 16-25, who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and want to move into work but need extra support to do so.
The programme has helped the interns learn and develop valuable employability skills which they successfully showcased in job interviews and trial shifts, leading to exciting employment offers.
Sophie has secured a role as a Nursery Assistant at Alphablocks Nursey School in Hadley Wood, where she will also complete a Level 3 childcare qualification, and Prince will be working in the Stores team at Barnet General Hospital.
During their time on the programme, Sophie and Prince honed their skills at the Whittington Hospital in Archway. Sophie worked on both a post-surgery ward and in the Play team, which supports children at the hospital, where she developed her care skills and completed support worker and care training.
Prince had two placements at the hospital, one with the Stores team, and another with the Pharmacy Distribution team. He also worked at the M&S Foodhall in Archway.
The Whittington Hospital has been a partner of Ambitious about Autism’s supported internship programme since 2019 and has offered numerous placements to autistic young people in this time.
Sophie said: “When I joined the supported internship programme last September, I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect. But within the first few weeks, we did lots of team building activities that helped us develop our friendships.
“The team also supported us with job applications and interview practice. This helped me get my new role at the nursery which I’m really excited about!”
Prince said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time on Ambitious about Autism’s supported internship programme. I’ve made good friendships with the other interns and have enjoyed going to weekly socials.
“The programme has really helped to improve my confidence and my job skills, and I am proud to be joining the Stores team at Barnet General Hospital.”
Teacher Gemma Mullan, who leads the programme, said: “We are incredibly proud of everything our graduating interns have achieved this year, including Sophie and Prince, who will bring so much to their exciting new roles.”
“Our supported internship programme creates vital opportunities for autistic young people that enable them to be themselves and realise their ambitions. We encourage other local employers to get in touch if they are interested in offering work experience to young people.”
