Following a partnership between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the charity DFN Project Search, five young people with special educational needs or autism will gain work experience as Administrative Officers at HMRC’s Liverpool office. The internships will last up to a year, during which students from The City of Liverpool College will receive support from a college tutor and job coach from the charity Hft. Liverpool City Council will fund the scheme.
The Liverpool regional centre, India Buildings, will provide the interns with experience of monitoring inboxes and spreadsheets. HMRC is the first government department to offer supported internships to SEND students through the charity. Less than 5% of UK people with SEND are currently in work, according to DFN Project Search.
HMRC’s Director of Risk and Intelligence Services and Senior Sponsor for Liverpool, Andy Leggett, said that he was “delighted” that the organisation was “offering a first step on the career ladder and the chance to do meaningful work that allows them to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a supportive environment”.
Intern Harry Heavyside said that since beginning his placement he had “become a lot more confident in myself and a lot more optimistic about the future”. The City of Liverpool College’s Principal and Chief Executive, Elaine Bowker, hailed the programme as “transformative” and said it “will truly open doors for the city’s young people”.
The internships will act as a structured pathway from college to the world of work, enabling students to compete in the job market or apply for vacancies within HMRC following their completion
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