At UHCW we are so proud of our staff, and 70 years after the NHS began, we wanted to share the story of some of the NHS' workforce of the future. This is our supported interns class of 2018.

The group of eight interns graduated from their nine-month long programme this week, after completing work placements in a variety of departments at our Trust.

The Interns work alongside our staff and become part of our teams, gaining work experience and really growing in confidence as they develop the skills required to thrive in a busy working hospital.

This initiative is now in its third year and provides a cohort of students with learning disabilities the opportunity to trial working in the NHS. Over the last three years, many of our interns have found permanent roles in the Trust after the programme ends.

We had a celebration for the Interns’ end of year presentation this week, which was attended by Councillor Kevin Maton and Karen Martin, Chief Workforce and Information Officer.

One of the interns who graduated was Joey, who has worked in Sterile Services over the last year and now has gained a permanent role in the department. He said “When I first started the scheme, I found working relationships really hard but my manager Lynn and the rest of the team went the extra mile to welcome me, now I feel relaxed at work. Sterile Services was the perfect placement for me, some people don’t like rules and policies but I love them and I’m really good at following instructions. I am so glad that I had this opportunity as it's taught me to believe in myself and I couldn’t be happier!”

The supported internship programme is aimed at young disabled people. We work closely with The Employment Support Service, which is part of Coventry City Council’s Employment Team, and Hereward College.