Manchester Airport and partner charity helps young people with disabilities get paid employment

Nine young people from Greater Manchester with special educational needs and disabilities have become the latest to secure paid roles through a partnership between Manchester Airport and local disability charity Pure Innovations.

The Supported Internships programme, launched in 2015, provides those enrolled with a close level of supervision and assistance over the course of a 10-month internship with Manchester Airports Group or one of its partners operating on the airport site.

The internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16- to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities, aiming to provide the opportunity for young people to achieve sustained, paid employment by equipping them with the skills they need for work through learning in the workplace.

Interns gain first-hand workplace experience between 9 am and 1 pm from Monday to Thursday, with Manchester Airports Group (MAG) or an airport partner participating in the programme, which include Bidvest Noonan, Crowne Plaza, GXO, Greggs, and ABM.

They then spend six additional hours per week in classroom sessions delivered by Manchester College mentors, equipping them with the skills they need for a successful career at the airport. They have also thrown their support behind charitable projects – including supporting food bank The Tree Of Life with sorting donations.

Over the past decade, the programme has supported more than 60 interns into paid employment at the end of the programme – with 82 percent of Pure Innovations graduates still in their roles 12 months later.

Among the latest graduates from the programme was 20-year-old Jawariah Suleman from Stockport. She completed a placement at Greggs in Terminal 1 of Manchester Airport and has now secured a paid role with the bakery chain after impressing managers with her attitude and commitment to great customer service.

Jawariah said: “It has been absolutely amazing. I have learned all about customer service, how to handle money, and have built up my skills and my confidence. The biggest lesson for me was to use my own initiative to solve problems. I’m really pleased to now have a paid job.”

Liam O’Brien – Jawariah’s manager at Greggs – added: “Jawariah never stops smiling, she works hard and is always happy to take on new responsibilities. She has fit into the team well, brings a lot of enthusiasm, and we’re delighted to have been able to offer her paid employment following her supported internship.”

We’re proud of our role in serving the people of Greater Manchester, not just as their gateway to the world but also as a driver of regional prosperity and as one of the city region’s largest employers. That’s why we’ve committed to a long-term partnership with Pure Innovations to help ensure a career at the airport is open to all – including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

“I’d like to congratulate the young people graduating this summer on the completion of their internships and on securing paid employment with ourselves or our airport partners, which is a testament to the energy and enthusiasm they brought to their internships.”

Marcella M’Rabety – Head of Social Sustainability, Manchester Airports Group

Our interns are so driven, so enthusiastic, and so passionate that they make my job easy. I’m so proud of their efforts and the progress they’ve made in the last nine months, and I wish them all the best in their future.