Aviva welcomes back Supported Interns for third year

The Supported Internships Programme will return for its third year at Aviva, with an open day taking place at the company’s Wellington Row offices in York on Monday 19 January from 3:00 – 6:30pm. The next internship programme will start in September 2026.

The Supported Internship is a one-year transition-to-work programme for young adults aged 18–24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and/or Special Educational Needs, designed to help them learn valuable skills and take their first steps into the workforce.

The programme is a collaboration between Aviva, City of York Council, York College, and disability charity United Response. Together, the partnership creates inclusive employment opportunities and empowers young adults through specialised training and practical work experience.

Interns will be enrolled at York College and experience the work environment at Aviva’s city centre offices. The programme is ideal for young people who learn best by seeing and doing but need extra support to build confidence and develop the skills needed for future employment. As part of Aviva’s place-based commitment to employability in York, interns are also offered the chance to participate in mock interviews that help improve confidence and to get involved with volunteering work to boost their networking and social skills.

The open event on Monday 19 January will take place at Aviva’s Wellington Row offices and give young people and their families the chance to explore internship opportunities, get to know the office environment and meet representatives from City of York Council, United Response, and York College.

Internship vacancies will be available in York from September 2026 and interns will work in Aviva’s offices supported by an on-site job coach from United Response and a tutor from York College. Previous interns have gained experience in IT, Data Insights, Customer Operations, and Pricing roles.

Harrison, a previous Intern on the programme, said: “From its nice colleagues, professional meetings and clean environment, Aviva has been a great opportunity to learn and experience what it’s like to work in an office environment.”

Holly Hudson, Aviva York Supported Internships Lead, added: “We’re really excited to once again provide this opportunity for young adults in York to work at Aviva, in collaboration with our dedicated partners across the county. This initiative ensures we are connecting the strengths of our young people and our colleagues, to create talent pathways into the workplace that are accessible for everyone, so more young adults can develop the employment skills they need to get ready for their futures.”

Joy Kettyle, Deputy Principal & Chief Executive - Strategic Leadership Team at York College said: “Providing meaningful pathways to employment for young people with EHCP’s or SEND is one of the college’s key areas of focus. Being part of this great collective and all working together to deliver the Supported Internship has been one of the highlights of the year and is something we hope will continue for years to come. Our young people are not only learning transferable skills in the workplace, they are also building relationships and friendships with their workplace colleagues.”

Lauren Bartley, Employment and Supported Internship Manager at United Response, said: “It’s clear from the number of young people struggling to find opportunities in the workplace that there is a real need for employers to provide a positive route that focuses on real-world outcomes. It is crucial workplaces support a neurodiverse workforce to build skills and prospects, which is why I am delighted to continue our partnership supporting more young people into employment in York”.

Parents, carers and young people can find out more about Supported Internships, including how to sign up for the open event, on the York College website.

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Notes

• We are the UK’s leading diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
• We help our 25.2m customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
• We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2024, we paid £29.3 billion in claims and benefits to our customers. 
• Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
• As at 30 June 2025, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £419 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus as at 30 September 2025 was £7.0 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
• For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us