Our south west London pre-internship

Learners on our pre-internship in south west London attend careers learning sessions to develop their skills and confidence 3 days a week between September and July. The course involves some work experience and other forms of employer engagement. 

Mencap Training Academy learner

What do pre-internship learners do in class?

Topics covered include:

  • Exploring the world of work
  • Exploring what good CVs and cover letters look like
  • Understanding how to job search
  • Identifying positive interview skills and describing my skills to others
  • Expected workplace behaviours and health and safety at work
  • How to work in a team
  • Prioritising and time management.
A woman helping a student with some work, while sitting at a desk

Engaging with employers on our south west London pre-internship

A graphic of a person speaking at a lectern and of a tower block with a sign that says 'office' at the top.

As part of the pre-internship programme, learners also engage with employers. This could be in the form of guest speaker visits, or trips to employers' premises.

A suitcase with '45 hours' written on it.

During terms 2 and 3, pre-internship learners must also complete a minimum of 45 hours of work experience. Learners are supported in their placement by a skills coach and could do work experience with a range of employers including:

The Greene King logo

Greene King. The UK's biggest pub chain. Hospitality work experience placements available in front of house and back of house roles - waiting on tables, serving at the bar and working in kitchens. 

The logo for Delfont Mackintosh Theatre Group

Delfont Mackintosh. Theatre operator in London's west end. Front of house placements available - selling tickets and merchandise and showing audience members to their seats.

The logo of Sanctuary Care

Sanctuary Care. A leading care provider. Work experience placements available at homes in Lambeth.

The logo for Sutton council.

Sutton Council . Administrative placements available across different teams. 

You can find out more about employers we work with in London on our south west London supported internship page.

Where is it?

Learners on our south west London pre-internship attend sessions at Parc House Studios in Kingston 3 days a week between September and July. There may also be trips to other sites and work experience could take place at a range of locations.

A picture of Parc House Studios where the south west London supported internship is based.
A person walking along an arrow pointing upwards

The aim of the pre-internship is to prepare learners to progress onto our supported internship in south west London the following year. 

letter and pencil

How do young people enrol on this programme?

To express an interest in joining our pre-internship in south west London and to start the enrolment process, please complete our online expression of interest form

If you or the person you are enquiring on behalf of are eligible for the programme, then a member of the team will work to get in touch with you within 14 working days.

Before we can agree to enrol learners, we will need to see a copy of the young person's EHCP and to meet with them to discuss why they want to do a supported internship, as well as their skills, needs and interests. 

Our London prospectus

You can find out more about all our programmes in London in our 2025/26 prospectus.

Our prospectus

Frequently asked questions

Our classroom where we deliver the classroom learning elements of our pre-internship in south west London is at Parc House Studios in Kingston. It is a 0.2 mile (4 minute) walk from Kingston station. It is also close to bus stops on the 65 and 671 routes (Kingsgate Road and Kingston Station V bus stops), the 57, 65 and 71 routes (Cromwell Road bus stop), and the 111, 216 and 281 routes (Kingston Station Q bus stop).

The work experience element of the course could potentially take place nearer to learners' homes if needed. 

We understand that some people may not have much experience of travelling on their own and may feel nervous about finding their way to our classrooms and to their work experience placements.

We encourage people to come and visit our premises before enrolling to see what it’s like and to get a sense of the journey from home. 

You may also be able to get some independent travel training support before joining the supported internship from your local council.

Travel training in Kingston and Richmond  

Travel training in Sutton  

Travel training in Merton  

Travel training in Wandsworth

If you would like to enquire about enrolling on our pre-internship in south west London, then the best way to start the process is by completing our online expression of interest form.

However, if you would like to get in touch with a member of the team directly, then please contact the programme coordinator in south west London, Lucinda Morgan-Evans.

lucinda.morgan-evans@mencap.org.uk 

07813 363 045

For general enquiries, you can also contact: employment.support@mencap.org.uk