Starting the placement
To start my placement as an Admin and Communication Assistant, I had the opportunity to take part in the Pathways to Employment Event at Haringey Sixth Form College. At the beginning of the day, I met my second mentor Karrisa and my placement manager Lucy, who were welcoming and made me feel I had a great time to work with. Not only them, but I also had another colleague who works in the same floor as my mentors Amal and Karrisa and my placement manager Lucy who has been really kind to me.
My role at the event was helping with registration. At first, I felt nervous, especially seeing Karrisa so confident and organised. With support from my current mentor, Amal, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and completed the task successfully, which boosted my confidence.
Shadowing
After that, I have done shadowing with Amal as she explained the Mencap Internship Programme to parents/children and even used me as an example. It was a positive experience because I stayed calm and focused, and it felt great to be part of the event instead of staying inside.
First official placement day
On my first official placement day, I collaborated with Amal and Karrisa, along with my placement manager Lucy. I felt calm and ready to start. Before beginning tasks, Amal instructed me to complete the Haringey MyLearning activities, which I finished in one day — a big relief.
Project work
My first task was a research project on supported internships, creating a PowerPoint with examples, key partners, and more. It helped me learn new things, and although finding some details was challenging, I asked for help and felt proud of completing it.
Next, I created a checklist for the newsletter and emailed providers for information about their services. Generally, my progress has been good. Learning how to create a newsletter was new for me, but with clear guidance from my mentors, I have learned that I can do this with passion and confidence.
Final project
My final project was to work on a Intern Handbook for young people who are considering joining the Supported Internship Programme in Haringey. The aim is for it to be written from my perspective as an intern so that it feels friendly, relatable, and genuinely useful for future interns who might not know what to expect. First, I planned the sections and content in Word before creating the final version in Canva.
About this series
This article is part of the Supported Intern Voices project written by supported interns in Haringey. The series aims to support young people who may be interested in joining the Supported Internship Programme.
