Our Staffordshire pre-internship
Learners on our pre-internship in Staffordshire attend careers learning sessions to develop their skills and confidence 3 days a week between September and July. The course involves some
work experience
Work
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
is when you try out a job to help you learn new skills.
and other forms of employer engagement.
What do learners do in pre-internship classroom sessions?
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
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
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.
Engaging with employers on our Staffordshire pre-internship
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.
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:
Wincanton. A leading logistics business. Warehouse operative, administration and catering work experience placements available at sites in Lichfield, Trentham or Stafford.
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.
Whitemoor Lakes. Activities centre in Lichfield. Kitchen, housekeeping, maintenance, front of house and activities assistant work experience placements available.
Sanctuary Care. Leading care provider. Work experience placements available at homes in Cannock, Burton-On-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Where is it?
The classroom learning sessions on our Staffordshire pre-internship are held at Stowe Court in Lichfield. Learners must attend here 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.
The aim of the pre-internship is to prepare learners to progress onto our supported internship or employer-led supported internship in Staffordshire the following year.
How do learners enrol on this programme?
To express an interest in joining our pre-internship in Staffordshire 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 you want to enrol, as well as their skills, needs and interests.
Our Staffordshire prospectus
You can find out more about all our programmes in Staffordshire in our 2025/26 prospectus.
Our classroom where we deliver the classroom learning elements of our pre-internship in Staffordshire is at Stowe Court in Lichfield. It is a 0.5 mile (11 minute) walk from Lichfield City Station. It is also close to bus stops on the 31 and 32 routes (Tesco Store stop), the 765 and X65 routes (Maxwell Close stop), and the 105, 819 and 829 routes (Cemetery 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. We also try to arrange meetings with employers where learners will do work experience before they start on the programme so they can experience the journey to the workplace as well.
You may also be able to get some travel support before joining the pre-internship from your local council.
Travel training in Staffordshire
Travel training in Stoke-on-Trent
Mencap can also provide travel training for up to 6 weeks when learners start their work experience placements to help learners learn the routes to their work placements.
If you would like to enquire about enrolling on our pre-internship in Staffordshire, 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 Staffordshire, Sarah Fletcher.
07970 102 610
For general enquiries, you can also contact: employment.support@mencap.org.uk