Following the recruitment of nine interns earlier this year, the Get Set Progress internship scheme is set to create another twenty roles for blind and partially sighted jobseekers.
RNIB is collaborating with Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) to create new opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to find employment through TPT’s flagship internship scheme.
TPT and RNIB are now calling for charities in the sight loss sector to get involved.
Emma Hughes, TPT’s Director of Services, said:
“Our internship scheme is one of our key employment programmes enabling blind and partially sighted people to secure that first rung on the career ladder.
“We know 85% of interns on the Get Set Progress scheme go on to secure employment within six months. That’s why we are delighted to work in partnership with RNIB to create even more opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.”
Martin O’ Kane, Head of Employment at RNIB, said:
“We are keen to work alongside TPT in our joint aim of getting more blind and partially sighted people into work.
“Internships are a great way of enabling people to try out different roles and also to educate employers around how to support staff with sight loss.
“We are looking forward to working alongside TPT on its Get Set Progress scheme as part of our employment work.”
TPT has run a programme of paid internships since 2015. The last tranche, launched in March, appointed nine interns within TPT and across five other sight loss charities – British Blind Sport, My Sight Nottinghamshire, MySight York, MyVision Oxfordshire (previously Oxfordshire Association for the Blind) and Sight Support West of England.
Charities receive 75% of the funding for the posts through the scheme and TPT supports the partner organisations throughout the nine-month placements.
Mark Upton, Chief Executive at MyVision Oxfordshire, said:
“The experience of having a GSP intern has been very positive. TPT has supported us along the way and our intern has already made a massive impact on MyVision and our work.
“It has also given them a step into a career that would not have been possible otherwise.”
The application portal for charities to be part of this next round of internships will be open from 1 September for two weeks. Charities will need to submit their proposed intern role with an accompanying job description.
Mark stressed: “I would highly recommend taking on an intern, both to enrich your organisation and to provide an opportunity for a blind or partially sighted person to start their journey into a career.”
The internships are designed to be development opportunities and each intern has a dedicated training plan to provide a meaningful learning experience.
Margaret Hart, Fundraising Assistant intern at MyVision Oxfordshire, said:
“I feel I will gain a lot of really good transferable skills. It’s given me job experience in general – that was something I was struggling with because I hadn’t had a job before so it has given me a boost of confidence. It’s given me ambition!”
Sight loss sector charities wanting more information on the scheme can contact Emma Hughes: emma.hughes@pocklington-trust.
