On Monday 16 February 2026, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Project Pilot, Bristol City Council’s supported internship programme for young people without Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Launched in April 2024, and funded through the Internships Work Pilot, Project Pilot is testing new ways to widen access to meaningful employment pathways.
My visit took place at the beautiful and historic Bristol City Hall—an inspiring setting that has also given interns the chance to explore parts of the city centre they may never have visited before.
The programme operates on a roll‑on, roll‑off model, meaning interns can start at different times throughout the year and take up paid work as soon as they receive a job offer. While this can make it a challenge to create a settled group dynamic, the staff team have built an incredibly supportive and adaptable environment where every intern is welcomed, valued, and encouraged to share their learning.
A highlight was hearing how current interns support new interns by delivering peer‑to‑peer presentations – a clever solution to the roll‑on, roll‑off challenge and a fantastic way for young people to build confidence and consolidate their learning.
I had the chance to sit in on an employability session where interns reflected on their journey including:
What worried them before starting:
- travelling to new places
- starting unfamiliar roles and tasks
What has changed:
- increased confidence
- feeling more comfortable making and learning from mistakes
What they’re proud of:
- learning quickly
- cooking meals for customers
- being more confident meeting new people
- completing tasks independently
What they’ve learnt:
- how to use Padlet, Excel and point‑of‑sale systems
- health and safety including placement‑specific protocols, including safe knife handling
- and much more
Their growth was clear—not just in skills and confidence, but in how they see themselves and their future prospects.
Tutor highlight
“My highlight has been watching the interns grow in confidence week by week. Many start the course feeling unsure about their strengths or anxious about meeting new people. They’ve all had previous negative experience within education, however through the activities, workplace experiences and the supportive environment, they begin to recognise what they’re capable of. Seeing them take pride in their achievements, especially when they share their ideas, complete a task independently, or support one another, has been incredibly rewarding.
“A key learning for me has been the importance of flexibility and co‑creation. Every young person on the programme arrives with different needs, communication styles and abilities, and a one‑size‑fits‑all approach doesn’t work. By shaping sessions around their interests, adapting activities to reduce anxiety, and letting them lead the pace where possible, we’ve created a learning environment where they feel safe and motivated. This has reinforced just how valuable it is to listen carefully, involve them in decision‑making, and build the learning experience with them rather than for them.”
Barbara Ricci, Community Learning Tutor
Programme manager highlight
“I can honestly say I feel genuinely proud that Bristol City Council has delivered its own supported internship programme for the first time, along with its partners Sixteen. Seeing this initiative come to life—and knowing that we are creating meaningful opportunities within our own organisation—has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a milestone that reflects the council’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, and long‑term change for young people.
“It has been particularly satisfying to observe how the interns have consistently supported each other throughout the internship. They’ve shared knowledge, encouraged one another, and created a genuinely inclusive and positive environment. Watching them grow in confidence together—and celebrate each other’s successes—has been one of the most enjoyable parts of this programme”
Simon Bayliss, Programme Manager, WE Work for Everyone
Meet the interns
As part of the visit, I also watched a video created by the interns, showcasing Project Pilot in their own words. Each intern contributed in a way that reflected their personal strengths, resulting in a piece of work that demonstrates what supported internships are really about: opportunity, aspiration, and thriving young people.
I had the privilege to sit down with three interns who generously shared their journeys. Please read their stories below.
Jess's journey
When I sat down with Jess, she told me about her love of Dungeons and Dragons and photography. Recently, she has been experimenting with creative angles—“the ones where you get really down on the ground”—and she put these skills to use by helping to edit the interns’ Project Pilot video.
Jess is currently on her first supported internship, working in a café where she cleans tables, uses the dishwasher, and has learnt to use the till. She chose a café placement because she wanted to build her confidence, explaining:
“One thing I want to do is to do a bit of work in retail or coffee shop while also focusing on photography on the side.”
Jess reflected that she felt nervous before starting. “I had a bad experience with a previous work coach in college,” she explained, which left her feeling unsure about what work would be like. But her time with Project Pilot has already helped shift those feelings. “I feel more confident now.”
When we talked about what she enjoys most in her internship, Jess shared: “Honestly, just meeting new people.” She also speaks warmly about her manager, describing them as “quite a nice person,” something that has helped her build confidence interacting with people at work.
When I asked if anything had surprised her about the placement, I wasn’t expecting Jess to say, “I didn’t expect how much I liked taking the bins out. It’s so warm in the kitchen so it’s a nice break.” It was a lovely reminder that work is full of small, unexpected moments that shape your experience. The way Jess shared this with humour and joy showed just how settled she has become in her role.
Looking ahead, Jess feels hopeful; she has two more placements to go, and she is looking forward to trying new things and finding out what roles might suit her. Her main goal is to get paid work when she finishes Project Pilot.
When asked what she is most proud of, Jess shared “because it’s my first time working – actually getting into work.”
Jess offered advice for any young person feeling nervous about starting a supported internship: “Sometimes just diving into the deep end is probably the best thing.”
Emily's journey
When I spoke with Emily, I was blown away by her creative skills, she told me about her passion for art, including ceramics, painting, photography, and model‑making. She creates small handmade creatures, “little monster‑type things,” entirely from her imagination. She even sells some of her pieces. Emily previously completed an art foundation course, which gave her the chance to explore different creative approaches.
Emily recently finished her first supported internship at Bristol City Council, working with the Events Team. Her placement involved helping to organise city events, festivals, shadowing a colleague, and creating guides for Bristol’s Park & Ride services. She also researched event‑listing websites, comparing tools like Eventbrite and Skiddle to help the team choose where to upload information.
Emily also contributed creatively by designing a newsletter. “That was really creative, I could design it how I wanted,” she said.
Emily was a trail blazer, being the first intern to take on a placement that was partly based from home. She admitted she was nervous at first.
“I thought I’d get stuck, but I actually wasn’t. I actually found it alright,” she said. Emily found she could manage the workload confidently, contacting her colleagues over Teams when she needed help.
A big part of her positive experience was the support she received from her job coach. “Viktorija has been so helpful… always messaging me and making sure I’m okay with the work,” she said. She also spoke fondly of the team she worked with: “Everyone was really nice… they were all friends and we knew each other really well.”
Going into Project Pilot, Emily didn’t expect to enjoy the placement as much as she did.
“When the placement was suggested, I didn’t think it was something I’d want to do, and then it really was.”
Looking ahead, Emily hopes her next placement will let her explore her interest in animals, wildlife, or outdoor conservation work.
“Maybe something more physical like wildlife conservation or working at a sanctuary with animals,” she said. She would also love to keep her creative work going on the side, selling pieces she makes.
Emily is learning more about what she enjoys—and what she doesn’t—in a work environment, helping her build a clearer picture of the kind of job she wants in the future.
“That’s why I wanted to try doing three things… just to see what I struggle with and what I enjoy.”
For young people unsure about starting a supported internship, Emily gave advice:
“Honestly, just go for it and try new things… You can stop any time and move on if you don’t like it.”
Marcel's journey
When I met Marcel, he shared – in a friendly and personable way which I came to realise was his general nature – one of his biggest passions: solving Rubik’s Cubes. He can complete them at impressive speed and even travels to national competitions. I really admired how he doesn’t go to win against others, but to improve on his own time.
“I don’t make it into the second round,” he said with a smile, “but I go to beat my previous self and meet people with the same interests.”
Marcel also enjoys video games. Right now, he’s playing a lot of World of Warcraft, and he also really enjoys Assassin’s Creed and Fallout: New Vegas.
Marcel generously shared that his journey to Project Pilot has not always been easy. He achieved strong GCSE grades – let’s celebrate his 9s in maths and physics, in the first cohort of the 1-9 grading system! He achieved these during COVID and at a time things were difficult at home. I was so glad to hear him say – “I was proud of myself, I deserved it.”
Afterwards, he tried college, but due to personal circumstances he wasn’t able to stay. He then tried sixth form as a year older then the other students, but unfortunately more things happened which meant he couldn’t continue the course. Marcel faced further difficulties and spent almost 2 years in hospital. He then moved into community rehabilitation, where he found the SPEAR Programme. SPEAR led Marcel to a job at Nando’s, which he has now been at for over a year, and it led him to Project Pilot.
Being over 18, Marcel approached different colleges to ask if he could complete A levels, but was categorically told he was too old. Being the proactive person Marcel is, he reached out to Elizabeth, who runs the SPEAR programme, and asked about apprenticeships. That’s when she told him about Project Pilot, a supported internship. “It’s not exactly what I was looking for,” he said “but it’s a step in the right direction. So I’ll try it.”
“It’s all been a chain of decisions,” he said. “Looking back, I can see how far I’ve come.”
Marcel is currently on his first supported internship at UWE Bristol, working in a science laboratory. He has learnt how to prepare agar plates, stain liver slides, and set up practicals for students. One of the things he is proudest of is being trusted to work independently:
“The basic role – I’ve got the hang of it. I think that’s why they will leave me in the room on my own and get me to do other things. They believe I can do it, so they let me do it.”
Marcel has been able to show what he is capable of, to himself and others, and I know will continue to go from strength to strength.
Although there isn’t a role available at UWE after this placement, Marcel has two more internships to come. He’s particularly interested in hospitals or scientific environments, where he can build on the technical skills he already has.
Marcel has actually recently been asked by someone who is now a current intern on Project Pilot for advice about starting a supported internship, and his answer to them was:
“It’s very individual, the internship placement I’m on, I really enjoy it and it’s really good.”
