A government review is to recommend a major expansion of specialist internships designed to help young people with special educational needs find work. Alan Milburn, who is leading the review of young people and work, said supported internships should be significantly scaled up to address high joblessness rates among young people with learning disabilities, autism, or mental illness.
The expansion would help combat what the review characterizes as "devastating" unemployment figures in this demographic. Supported internship schemes, which provide onsite training and support, are seen as a key tool to improve employment prospects for young people facing barriers to the job market.