Many companies work with Mencap to offer work experience and opportunities to people with a learning disability
Through our supported internships and other programmes like our supported employment services in London, we work with a wide range of different companies across lots of different sectors to provide
work experience
Work experience is when you try out a job to help you learn new skills.
and other opportunities for people with learning disabilities and
autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different.
. Employers can offer anything from a short work experience placement through to paid
employment
Employment means having a job.
.
We provide a high level of
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
to employers about the needs of people we work with, as well as on-the-job support to make sure work placements are a success.
What employers say about working with Mencap
"The supported internship learner we took on is now like a different person. Not only are they fully integrated and now a paid member of the team, they have made my team more mindful, protective and mature."
- Depot General
Manager
A manager is a boss at work. They tell you what you need to do and give you support if you need it.
, Evri.
"We have had 10 work placements since we started working with Mencap 20 months ago. We have hired some of these people who we would not have otherwise identified through our usual recruitment processes. Mencap's skill coaches ensure the right level of support is provided to the learner and employer and every one of our colleagues involved has grown and learnt from the partnership."
- Training Manager, Wincanton.
"Our intern has grown so much, from a nervous, shy young man, to a confident growing young professional. The growth in his demeanour, abilities and all-round general approach to being in a work environment is inspirational. His team are chuffed to bits and as he continues to grow, he will be an even better asset for us."
- Manager, Whitemoor Lakes.
"Mencap were really patient with all our questions and provided answers to all of them. It's also really great to be able to feed back to Mencap about what the learners learn about when they're in the classroom with their Mencap tutors and what we think it would be beneficial for them to work on."
- General Manager, Delfont Mackintosh.
"We have gained valuable support around the store and have been lucky enough to recruit some great colleagues via the [supported internship] programme."
- Retail employer from our 2023 employer
survey
A survey is when someone asks you to answer some questions.
.
"This gave our employees the opportunity to help train the intern, which helped them to understand their own roles better and has increased communication within the workforce, leading to better working and productivity."
- Healthcare employer from our 2023 employer survey.
Other employers we work with
As well as Evri, Wincanton, Whitemoor Lakes, and Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, we also work with many other employers across a range of sectors, including:
- Greene King
- Mitie Foundation
- Kier
- Bella Italia
- Midlands Arts Centre
- Sanctuary Care.
Interviews with our employer partners
Natalie previously completed one of our
supported internships
A work placement for young people with additional needs, where they get support from a job coach.
and now works for Mencap. A keen writer, Natalie likes to
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
employers we work with like The Financial Times, Delfont Mackintosh and Evri. Read her articles to find out more about how we work with employers.
Are you an employer interested in working with us?
If you would like to know more about how Mencap works with employers to support people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
and autism into employment, and to explore working with us, please get in touch.