Paid internships

Let’s invest in young, diverse talent and help young people kickstart their futures.

find out more

Fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch

Paid internships

Paid internships

Let’s invest in young, diverse talent and help young people kickstart their futures.

find out more
find out more

Fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch

What we do

One good intern…

One good intern…

For over 20 years, our paid internships, as part of our Career Ready programme, have enabled young people to kickstart their futures and employers to connect with future talent.

Working with employers of all sizes and sectors, we want to ensure that more young people have the opportunity to achieve their potential in life. We hope you will join us in making this possible.

We’re also proud to provide an Internship Investment Fund to enable eligible SMEs, charities and public sector employers to host young people for paid internships during the summer holidays.

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0%
of interns said their internship helped develop key employability skills
0%
of interns said their internship had a positive impact on their life
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of employers said their intern added value to their organisation
0%
of interns said their internship helped develop key employability skills
0%
of interns said their internship had a positive impact on their life
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of employers said their intern added value to their organisation

My eyes were opened to opportunities on my doorstep. My internship gave me an insight into an industry and a place to practice my skills. That internship has now turned into an apprenticeship.

Emily ClarkeEmily Clark, Tees Valley Intern at PD Ports

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Why we do it

The social mobility problem

The social mobility problem

The UK has amongst the lowest rates of social mobility in the developed world – and we need to act now to resolve this.

Career Ready works with employers across the country – from large companies to SMES, to give young people the platform they need to achieve their potential.

Early investment

Our internships are not undergraduate or graduate schemes, they are four-week placements for young people aged 16-18.

By supporting young people, before they have left education, we can make the biggest difference. The sooner we act, the bigger the returns.

Early investment means that young people are better able to develop core employability skills, boost their academic attainment, and find the right career path for them.

Fair pay, fair play

Paid opportunities are critical in creating fair access to the workplace.

Internships are often a required step onto the career ladder, yet unpaid opportunities exclude talented young people who don’t have the means to work without pay.

That’s why we ask all our employer partners to pay their interns the Real Living Wage if possible. Together, we can level the playing field, boost social mobility, and diversify talent in the workplace.

Continued covid impact

83% of young people think that Covid-19 has had a negative impact on their career prospects; Career Ready & Totaljobs

Attainment gap

Those from more affluent backgrounds are 80% more likely to have professional jobs; The Social Mobility Commission

Uncertain futures

12% decline in social mobility predicted from pandemic learning loss; The Sutton Trust

The social mobility problem

Investing in Generation Covid

The UK has amongst the lowest rates of social mobility in the developed world – and we need to act now to resolve this.

Career Ready works with employers across the country – from large companies to SMES, to give young people the platform they need to achieve their potential.

Early investment

Our internships are not undergraduate or graduate schemes, they are four-week placements for young people aged 16-18.

By supporting young people, before they have left education, we can make the biggest difference. The sooner we act, the bigger the returns.

Early investment means that young people are better able to develop core employability skills, boost their academic attainment, and find the right career path for them.

Fair pay, fair play

Paid opportunities are critical in creating fair access to the workplace.

Internships are often a required step onto the career ladder, yet unpaid opportunities exclude talented young people who don’t have the means to work without pay.

That’s why we ask all our employer partners to pay their interns the Real Living Wage if possible. Together, we can level the playing field, boost social mobility, and diversify talent in the workplace.

Covid cuts

46% of students believe they’re less likely to find a job due to Covid

Attainment gap

Less-advantaged young people are 50% more likely to be unemployed

Uncertain futures

Only 3/10 people are optimistic about the future of work for young people

Young people will be the driver of our COVID recovery, we must have a response which puts them at its heart.

Sandy BegbieSandy Begbie CBE, CEO, Scottish Financial Enterprise

How it works

A month of structured activity

A month of structured activity

Our internships are held in the summer holidays between schools years 12/13 and can include a blend of remote and office-based placements.

We understand the challenges employers can face when it comes when it comes to hosting young people. That’s why we provide support every step of the day, including onboarding and guidance on structuring a high quality internship.

Supervising an intern is an exicitng opportunity to see what emerging young talent is out there. I've been able to develop my managerial style and learn about what support young people coming into the industry need.

Gemma Cowan, 23Red

Supervising an intern is an exicitng opportunity to see what emerging young talent is out there. I've been able to develop my managerial style and learn about what support young people coming into the industry need.

Gemma Cowan, 23Red

Predefined JDs and project examples

We provide template job descriptions to cover a variety of roles and can advice on how to tailor your existing documents.

Onboarding guidance

We support employers in how best to onboard young people into their business and get them settled into the workplace.

Blend of office based and remote working

Placements can take a hybrid approach to reflect new ways of working.

Our network

A network investing in young talent

Since 2002, we have worked with employers of all sizes and sectors to provide young people with high-quality, paid internships.

Whether you’re an SME or a MNC, you can play a direct role in equipping the next generation.

Hundreds of employers have already shown their commitment to young talent this year – will you join them?

Internships are key in creating a pipeline. It's no longer about photocopying and shadowing, we make sure they are part of the team. It's also a great opportunity for staff to develop their skills. I couldn't recommend it more.

Nina HughesNina Hughes, Wates Group

Paid internships are an opportunity to meet new minds, innovate faster, and build relationships with future tech talent. Paid internships are the route to true diversity in thought and, well, that wins.

Rory BrownRory Brown, Co-founder & COO, Kluster

Recent stories

We’re proud of the progress our young people make, their transformational relationships with our volunteers and the often life-changing experiences of the world of work provided by our employer supporters.

Read more…

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The impact of our partnerships

Research shows that our partnerships empower young people, boost social mobility, and add real business value to employers through:

  • Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Employee engagement and upskilling
  • Talent pipelines

If you are unsure about how we can help, fill in the form at the bottom of this page and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss opportunities.

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0%
of employers would hire their Career Ready intern given the opportunity
0%
of volunteers experienced a positive impact on their skills, wellbeing, or work life
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employers connected to young talent across the country

Our partnership with Career Ready is positively impacting our firm in many ways, from providing our colleagues with great mentoring experience, to helping us improve the diversity of our early careers hiring and giving us the opportunity to support and give back to the communities in which we work.

MarshSteve Woodhouse, HR Director

Additional information

To ensure the smooth running of internships and that it is a valuable experience for all, we work closely with employers to create a straight forward programme of activity.

When internships take place

We recommend that all paid internships take place at the following dates:

  • England, Wales, Northern Ireland: Monday 10 July onwards
  • Scotland: Monday 19 June onwards

We recognise that some employers may require flexibility, and it is left to each school/college to agree suitable dates with these employers at a local level. However, all internships must have been completed by Friday 25 August 2023.

What we ask of employers

  • Provide a formal interview experience
  • Provide a planned programme of activity to enhance the student’s skills
  • Assign a line manager to supervise the student’s work and provide feedback
  • Organise an event at the end of the experience where the student can present what they have learnt

How we support you

  • Provide template job descriptions and suggested projects
  • Provide internship supervisor training ahead of placements
  • Provide an Internship Toolkit to help you run the placements smoothly
  • Stay in contact with you and the student to support you throughout
  • Ensure the student is visited during their internship, including to watch their end of internship presentation. This will be by a member of Career Ready team or a member of school staff.

Want to know more? Get in touch with a member of our team. 

Our paid internships are your opportunity to gain vital workplace experience, develop new skills, and build a professional network.

What an internship can offer you

  • Valuable hands-on experience of work in a real situation
  • See if an area of work matches your skills, interests and aspirations
  • Meet new people and expand your network of contacts
  • Develop new skills and competencies
  • Increase your understanding of how an organisation operates
  • Understand how what you are studying applies to the world of work
  • Become more confident
  • Improve your CV, your employability and your future life chances

How it works

  • Held over a fixed period of time in the summer holidays between Y12 and Y13
  • You’ll be paid (at least) the minimum wage
  • A real job interview process
  • You’ll be provided with a job description and real responsibilities

How we support you

We know that entering the world of work can be daunting, that’s why wer’re on hand to support you every step of the way:

  • Preparing for work masterclass
  • Interview tips and guidance
  • A toolkit to help you throughout your placement
  • Visit from Career Ready team and/or school staff

Want to know more? Speak to your school coordinator about any questions you may have. 

We work closely with every school and college to manage our internships and deliver life-changing outcomes for learners.

How it works

We will utilise our relationships with national employers to secure opportunities for students in our partner schools, but there is no guarantee of the number of placements we can provide.

We recommend that all paid internships take place at the following dates:

  • England, Wales, Northern Ireland: Monday 10 July onwards
  • Scotland: Monday 19 June onwards

There is a set application process for all national internships which coordinators and students must follow. Students will be asked to complete an internship application and confirm they are happy for their details to be used for internships.

Benefits to your learners

  • Valuable hands-on experience of work in a real situation
  • See if an area of work matches their skills, interests and aspirations
  • Professional contacts
  • New workplace Skills and competencies
  • Increased understanding of the world of work
  • Understand how academic subjects apply to the world of work
  • New-found confidence
  • Valuable experience for their CV

Benefits to your school/college

  • Meet Gatsby Benchmarks 1,5, 6 for Good Career Guidance
  • A structured work experience programme for your students
  • Engagement with local and national employers

Let's get started

Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch to discuss opportunities for your business.

Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch to discuss opportunities for your business.

FAQs

Our Career Ready programme supports young people aged 16-18 who are in education (15-18 in Scotland)

As a social mobility charity we work with schools, colleges and young people who, research shows, face barriers in education and employment which cause their talents to often go undiscovered and unfulfilled.

We support those who need a platform to reach their potential, working with young people who meet a combination of criteria, including the following:

  • Eligible for Free School Meals in the past six years
  • Eligible for Educational Maintenance Allowance
  • Parental occupation indicating lack of access to professional networks and/or low household income
  • No parental history of higher education
  • Physical, mental or learning disability
  • Experience of Local Authority care and/or estranged from family
  • Caring responsibilities

We work in 101 Local Authorities across the UK, from Essex to Elgin, prioritising areas which research shows need our support the most.

To ensure that we support the young people, schools & colleges, and areas who need our support the most, we’re guided by Government data on Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Cold Spot framework. Meaning that we work in:

Find out more. 

Nothing has the same potential to transform young lives and boost social mobility as paid internships.

We therefore ask that each of our partner employers works with us to provide these life-changing experiences. We appreciate that this may not be suitable for all business environments, so we welcome the opportunity to discuss how else we can work together to deliver and grow our work across the UK.

In Scotland, we ask that every partner employer works with us to provide a mentor and a paid internship within their company.

We’ve worked with micro, small, and medium employers for nearly 20 years to deliver paid internships, mentoring, masterclasses, and workplace visits.

With employers finding that it quickly adds value to their business, team, and culture.

We are proud to offer an Internship Investment Initiative for SMEs, providing funding for them to host a paid intern. 

And our facilitated sessions and support mean that it’s an efficient and effective way of transforming young lives and future-proofing your business.

Let's get started

Find out how you can boost social mobility and help young kickstart a rewarding future.

FAQs

Our Career Ready programme supports young people aged 16-18 who are in education (15-18 in Scotland)

As a social mobility charity we work with schools, colleges and young people who, research shows, face barriers in education and employment which cause their talents to often go undiscovered and unfulfilled.

We support those who need a platform to reach their potential, working with young people who meet a combination of criteria, including the following:

  • Eligible for Free School Meals in the past six years
  • Eligible for Educational Maintenance Allowance
  • Parental occupation indicating lack of access to professional networks and/or low household income
  • No parental history of higher education
  • Physical, mental or learning disability
  • Experience of Local Authority care and/or estranged from family
  • Caring responsibilities

We work in 101 Local Authorities across the UK, from Essex to Elgin, prioritising areas which research shows need our support the most.

To ensure that we support the young people, schools & colleges, and areas who need our support the most, we’re guided by Government data on Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Cold Spot framework. Meaning that we work in:

Find out more. 

Nothing has the same potential to transform young lives and boost social mobility as paid internships.

We therefore ask that each of our partner employers works with us to provide these life-changing experiences. We appreciate that this may not be suitable for all business environments, so we welcome the opportunity to discuss how else we can work together to deliver and grow our work across the UK.

In Scotland, we ask that every partner employer works with us to provide a mentor and a paid internship within their company.

We’ve worked with micro, small, and medium employers for nearly 20 years to deliver paid internships, mentoring, masterclasses, and workplace visits.

With employers finding that it quickly adds value to their business, team, and culture.

We are proud to offer an Internship Investment Initiative for SMEs, providing funding for them to host a paid intern. 

And our facilitated sessions and support mean that it’s an efficient and effective way of transforming young lives and future-proofing your business.