Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

One of the initiatives proposed in the 2011 special educational needs (SEN) green paper ‘Support and aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability’ was supported internship, providing structured study programme for students aged 16 to 24 with a learning difficulty assessment (LDA). The Department for Education commissioned CooperGibson Research, in partnership with Disability Rights UK, to undertake an evaluation of the trial to determine whether the supported internship trial had been effective in enabling colleges to support young people with different learning difficulties and/or disabilities to progress into sustainable employment. The evaluation also examined how the initiative had been delivered and any lessons learned from the set-up, design and delivery; also, whether the initiative provided value-for-money. Of the 190 young people who completed a supported internship, 36% gained paid employment, including apprenticeships (5%); 26% gained voluntary work; 4% were progressing to further education or training (or in a small number of cases continuing their internship); and 25% had no employment, paid or unpaid, or plans for further education or training. This report describes the methodology, the different approaches to setting up trials (including 10 case studies), and the perceived benefits of the trials, employment, education, other outcomes, and how the key principles of supported internships have been managed and met. It makes recommendations regarding: publicity and raising awareness; eligibility criteria; employer engagement; and supporting interns. (Edited publisher abstract)