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About us
NHS England Choices College is a national specialist college providing tailored educational support, work experience and supported internships for young adults aged 16-24 with learning disabilities/difficulties and/or Autism.
We partner with NHS, local organisations, and private businesses to create supported and meaningful work placements for our learners.
Our person-centred approach ensures support is tailored to meet each learner’s needs, with placements sourced based on individual’s skills and interests.
During the internship learners spend 1 academic year attending up to three, 12-week placements to increase their vocational knowledge, skills and experience. This is supported by bespoke classroom sessions where Maths, English and Employability Skills are embedded.
The College is hosted by the NHS England as part of the ongoing commitment to improving employment outcomes for vulnerable groups.
Student support
We support young people to gain work skills through a phased stage of development to access employment including:
- Preparing for Adulthood
- Work Experience
- Supported Internship Support
- Transition and Employment Support
Choices College is a registered specialist college and provides Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) educational support nationally. All our education provision is subject to OFSTED inspection and Department for Education (DFE) regulations. We teach an Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) approved curriculum and National Council for Further Education (NCFE) accredited provision.
Our curriculum includes:
▪ Employability Skills
▪ Functional Maths and English
▪ Preparation for Adulthood
▪ CV, interview, and job search preparation
What makes us different?
Choices College has been supporting Interns for over 15 years. These are our values:
Person-centred - consider the individual needs of all Choices College stakeholders to enable our interns get the best start to their working careers.
Outcome Focused - create positive outcomes for the interns and business partners.
Quality driven - ensure that we maintain a high standard of support and education.
Excellence - be the best in our field and transforming societal expectations of people with additional needs.
Additional information
Eligibility and how to apply:
To join, Choices College interns must meet each of the following eligibility criteria.
▪ Live within one of our current Local Authority partnership areas (for Yorkshire and the Humber this includes: York, the East Riding, Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Lincolnshire)
▪ Be aged 16 – 24 years.
▪ Have an approved and active Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Find out more about our course(s) on >log on | move on> and if you wish to apply, go to our website and complete the online form or download and send us a hardcopy application form.
Megan has special education needs and disabilities including a genetic disorder called 22Q11 Deletion Syndrome (or Di George Syndrome) and ADHD. She commenced the Choices College Internship in September 2019, and completed two placements at the in her local NHS Hospital.
Megan overcame challenges relating to self-confidence and made excellent progress on the Internship, receiving positive feedback from both placements.
In February 2020, she secured a job as a domestic services assistant at ENGIE Soft Services, supporting the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dom has Asperger’s Disorder and had turbulent time after mainstream education with low attendance. Since graduating from Choices College in 2018, Dom has sustained full time employment in facilities with NTH Solutions, a subsidiary company of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
After working at the trust for four years he expressed an interest in becoming a mentor for the new students on the programme. He has taken them under his wing to introduce them to the workplace and be a central contact should they have any issues or concerns.
In June 2023, NTH Solutions celebrated Dom’s achievements with an Outstanding Contribution Award and acknowledged that he has not only overcome his own challenges but is now using his experiences to help others to do so.
