Myerscough foundation learners embark on Supported Internship programme
Published: Tuesday 15 September 2026Myerscough College continues to offer opportunities for young people who are neurodivergent or have learning disabilities to gain valuable skills in the workplace.
There are many misconceptions about employment for individuals who are neurodiverse or have a learning disability or additional support needs.
Supported Internships are designed for young people 16-24 with an Education, Health, and Care plan (EHCP) who are looking for a route into paid work.
The programme includes a structured, work-based programme with a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of a job coach.
Many Myerscough College foundation learning students have gone through this scheme, undertaking work placements with local employers including Save the Children, Sue Ryder, and Coggins Sustainable Office Solutions, among many others, including a group who successfully completed a programme at Ribby Hall earlier this year.
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Supported Internships can have a huge impact, not only on the life outcomes of the interns who take part, but on the host organisation and wider society too.
Students go on a weekly placement to build on their employability skills and prepare them for future employment or work experience.
Internships normally last for one year and they include a work placement. Students complete a personalised Study Programme working towards a qualification, usually ‘Employability Skills’. Maths and English are also delivered as an important element.
Our latest Supported Internship learners have begun their work placements at the Fulwood branch of Asda.
The partnership, in association with national charity DFN Project SEARCH, will see the group of Myerscough learners undertake a variety of roles within the business during the academic year.
Good luck to Sarah, Anthony, Eric, Adam, Hendrix, Adi and Rosie.
At the end of the programme the interns stand a real chance of gaining employment. Their employability skills are significantly enhanced from when they started. Their work colleagues and supervisors also have the opportunity to experience the value first hand of employing a young person with special or additional needs.
A vital part of the programme is about removing misconceptions regarding young people with learning difficulties with employers. Many in the workplace are surprised what a positive contribution these young people make. It’s about creating work-ready young people and removing any barriers that may be present in the workplace that could stop the employer from taking on such a young person.
Just six percent of young people with learning difficulties are in employment, and the aim of the scheme is to help them transition from education into the world of work, so they can live more independently and don’t become socially isolated.