Two more Sheffield youngsters join Streets Ahead on award-winning scheme
Amey, which delivers Sheffield Council’s highways maintenance contract, has recruited two new supported interns as part of a programme with The Sheffield College.
First year college students, Megan and Callum, are set to complete eight months of work experience with Streets Ahead, coupled with college-based employability training and maths and English lessons.
Once completed, they could get the chance to join a formal apprenticeship with Amey, one of the UK’s leading consulting and infrastructure companies.
Streets Ahead’s community and employee engagement officer Helen Johnson said Megan and Callum were already proving to be great assets to the team with Megan working in an admin role and Callum concentrating on general maintenance.
“This is our fourth cohort of young people to start an internship with us since we joined the scheme in 2016. It’s been just as good for us as it has been for the ten young people who have worked with us so far. They learn so many skills and grow in confidence when they’re with us. Four of them have gone on to become apprentices and are working towards formal qualifications. It’s really great to see.”
The scheme won Amey a RIDI (Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative) Award earlier in 2018. The team attended a parliamentary reception in November and has now been asked to host a RIDI event in Sheffield next year.
Angela Foulkes, Chief Executive and Principal, The Sheffield College, said: “I’m really proud of the Supported Internship scheme, and our new interns, Megan and Callum. The scheme is helping our students go further and develop the skills to succeed in life and the workplace.
“I’m delighted that this programme is being backed by Amey and other major regional employers. Their support in transforming the lives of young people who can face barriers to employment is invaluable.”
The supported internship scheme provides students, aged 16 to 24, who have learning difficulties and disabilities, with work placements to help them develop confidence as well as employability and social skills and an opportunity to go into employment.
Interns typically undertake supported job roles with an employer in the morning and have employability training such as maths and English at the College in the afternoon. The Amey interns are being supported in the workplace by job coach David Lincoln who provides mentoring.
For more information about the programme, please contact Helen Johnson by email on helen.johnson@amey.co.uk; or the College on 0114 2602600 or visit www.sheffcol.ac.uk.
To find out more about Streets Ahead visit: www.sheffield.gov.uk/streetsahead