Developing resilience on the journey to paid employment

2 September
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Photo of Ryan

Ryan joined the internship in October 2023 and by summer 2024 he was offered paid employment.

Our supported internship programme offers young people aged 16 – 24 with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) a chance to undertake three work placements across a year.

Ryan’s three placements were with Sambrook’s Brewery as a Cask and Keg washer, Robert Dyas as a Customer Sales assistant, and then, because he loved it so much, Sambrook’s again but this time to work in the tap room as a Team Member.

Speaking to Ryan shortly after completing the internship he shared that he gained valuable skills such as the ability to interact with colleagues and a significant improvement in being able to start and maintain conversations. After completing the internship, he felt confident in his abilities and could successfully identify tasks that needed completing without being prompted.

Throughout the internship, he has shown dedication and determination when learning new skills that challenged him. Since completing his final placement Ryan has developed incredible levels of resilience when faced with dealing with customers in a busy and noisy setting. The first time Ryan received tips from customers, he took them home and gave them to his Mum telling her to buy herself something nice with them.

The Supported Internship job coaches spoke with the management team at Sambrook’s Brewery about their recruitment plans and unfortunately there was no room in the budget to recruit anyone, but they expressed how they wanted to find a way to offer paid employment to Ryan.

In June, the managers ran a full team meeting and in front of the whole team they announced that they were offering Ryan a paid position, resulting in a huge round of applause and congratulations from the team!

“A lot of employers will say positive things, but you put your money where your mouth is, and I am so grateful for this opportunity”  – Ryan, supported internship participant

We asked Sambrook’s Brewery why they would go above and beyond to offer Ryan a paid position and they said “We tried to make it work with the budget we had. We knew how much it would help him and his family if he were to be employed. Who knows how long it would have been before someone else took a chance on him? It’s the start of a new life for Ryan, and we wanted to be part of that”.

We also spoke to Wandsworth Council about the Shaw Trust Supported Internship programme and how it is benefiting young people in the area and they said, “The supported internship has opened doors in the heart of the local community for young people to take the steps towards employment. The interns have fully embraced their journey and have blossomed into confident and skilled young people ready for the world of work”. (Rebecca Wood, Senior EHCP Co-ordinator)

Are you a local authority wanting to support and inspire the young people in your area? Or an employer who wants to offer valuable work placements to our interns? Head to our website and complete the contact form and someone from the team will be in touch! Supported internships – Shaw trust

Ned from Sambrook’s Brewery giving a speech at the Wandsworth Graduation Ceremony in July 2024.
Image of Ned from Sambrook’s Brewery giving a speech at the Wandsworth Graduation Ceremony in July 2024.
Image of Sambrook's Brewery sign.
Photo of Sambrook's Brewery sign.

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