Rochester Young People Build Career Skills With Supported Internships At Amazon

Three young people from Rochester have boosted their career skills by taking part in a Supported Internship at the Amazon sortation centre in the town. Amazon launched its Supported Internship programme in 2021, to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to gain work experience and skills as they transition to employment. 

Latest figures show that just 4.8% of people with a learning disability and autism, that are known to adult social care, are employed. Supported Internships form part of a Government scheme designed to help change this stat, helping young people with additional educational needs and disabilities gain work experience as they transition from education to employment.  

In 2023, Amazon started to work with national charity DFN Project Search, to expand their programme to help more people with SEND gain invaluable workplace skills. The internship combines classroom education and practical work experience in different Amazon roles to provide a rounded experience for interns.   

Joseph Cole (19), Jack Sleater-Robinson (20) and Adam Coram (20) from Rochester are some of the young people who have taken part in a Supported Internship at the Amazon sortation centre in the town with Forward2Employment.  

Joseph, Jack and Adam have now completed their internships and have taken permanent roles at Amazon in Rochester. They shared what they’ve learned whilst working at Amazon to inspire others to take part in the programme. 

Joseph’s internship began in late 2023 and as part of his internship, he received training in each of the areas of the sortation centre. He said: “I’ve loved putting my training into practice in different areas of the sortation centre. One of my roles is scanning items to ensure they get taken to the right location to be delivered to our customers. It was an area that I was quite nervous about in the beginning, but over time my ability and confidence has grown, and now it’s my favourite role!” Joseph added, “I’m proud that I went out of my comfort zone and was able to pick it up quickly and, most importantly, enjoy it.” 

Looking back on how he’s grown since the start of his Supported Internship at Amazon, Joseph said: “When I joined Amazon last October, I was quite shy and didn’t really want to be around anyone, but now I feel much happier and more confident. I used to be too scared to ask for help and would just struggle through, but I’ve learned it’s ok to ask for help.” 

“This is my first job, and I’ve felt really supported by the whole Amazon team and my Job Coach,” Joseph continued. “I’ve developed great relationships with my colleagues and the leadership team, and I know if I ever need anything I can go to anyone without hesitation.” 

Jack shared some favourite parts of his internship. “I’ve loved everything about my Supported Internship at Amazon, but I’ve particularly loved getting to use some of the tech which helps us direct parcels to the right location, and delivered to our customers,” he said. “It did take some getting used to at first but with lots of practice and support from my colleagues, I got the hang of it. It was really rewarding when I was able to do it the first time on my own without asking for help!” 

Speaking on what he’s learned during his internship, Jack added: “I gained a lot of new knowledge that I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Amazon, and I learned a lot about each of the different areas of the building.” 

“The support I’ve been given has been amazing, by all the leadership and our Job Coach Anne-Marie,” Jack added. “My internship was completely different than I expected – a good different! It’s really brought me out of my shell and I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m looking forward to staying at Amazon and building my career with the company.” 

Adam highlighted the support he received at Amazon as a standout in his experience: “Our Job Coach Anne-Marie has supported me a lot. She’s helped me deal with and process any problems I’ve had in a professional manner. I’ve got a good group of people in Amazon who I know I can talk to and have a laugh with, too.” 

“Working at Amazon has definitely boosted my confidence and developed so many of my skills, like working with others and thinking outside the box to create solutions to things. Looking back on myself before I started Amazon, I can see I’ve matured a lot since then and know how to work well to the standard that’s expected of me.” 

Adam continued: “I’m really proud of the work I’m doing, and I’m just proud that I’ve proved that having special needs doesn’t mean I’m not able to get a job like this one. I’ve proved you can get whatever job you want if you put the time and effort into getting there.” 

What advice does Adam have for anyone considering a Supported Internship at Amazon? “I would definitely recommend it. If you put in the work, you’ll get results and learn a lot.” 

Anne-Marie Smith, Job Coach at Forward2Employment, worked closely with the three interns during the programme. She added: “I am incredibly proud of the interns at Amazon. Each intern has achieved so much in both their individual growth and confidence. They have demonstrated resilience and proved to themselves that they are capable of so much more than they thought.” 

“With the combined support of their job coach from Forward2Employment, Amazon and DFN Project Search, these young people have all gained the necessary skills to successfully integrate into a suitable working environment and secure full time-employment.” 

Joseph, Jack and Adam completed their Supported Internship at Amazon in June. Their success was celebrated at a graduation ceremony at the Rochester sortation centre, which was attended by their families and Amazon colleagues. 

Amazon Rochester Site Leader, Michael Lizak, said: “It’s been great to have Joseph, Jack and Adam complete their Supported Internships at Amazon in Rochester. We’ve loved having them on the team throughout their internship and are looking forward to welcoming them to the team as they join us as employees! Hosting a graduation ceremony for Joseph, Jack and Adam was the perfect way to for us to celebrate the programme together.” 

“It has been brilliant to hear young people speak about their Supported Internship journeys with Amazon this year and to join in with the graduation celebrations across our sites. Young people like Joseph, Jack and Adam talking about the experiences they have had, the skills they have learnt and the opportunities opening up is the definition of success for our collaboration. I am excited to see what we can achieve in the future.” – Carmel McKeogh, Chief Executive, DFN Project SEARCH 

Since 2021, there have been over 50 Supported Internship interns based in various Amazon operations sites across the UK. Many interns, like Joseph, Jack and Adam, have gone on to work full time at Amazon.  

To learn more about Amazon’s Supported Internship programme with DFN Project Search visit About Amazon UK.  

To find out more about Amazon’s commitment to being an inclusive employer for people with disabilities – https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/amazon-disability-confident