Careers and Enterprise Blog
Susannah Gilbert
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Change 100 is a programme of paid summer work placements, professional development and mentoring. It aims to remove barriers experienced by disabled people in the workplace, to allow them to achieve their potential. They partner with leading employers in the UK who believe disability isn’t a barrier to a brilliant career.
We’ve been contacted by Leonard Cheshire which has Change 100 as their flagship programme.
This is what they have to say about it:
Disability internship scheme returns to tackle employment gap
Students and graduates with disabilities and long-term conditions have the opportunity to take part in a three-month internship with a top UK employer thanks to leading charity Leonard Cheshire’s flagship internship programme.
Applications have opened for the Change 100 programme, which gives students the worthwhile opportunity of finding valuable, paid work experience with leading organisations across a range of industries and sectors.
In response to the pandemic, Change 100 offered home-based placements and delivered professional development opportunities online. It will continue to do so for 2021 to ensure as many internship opportunities as possible.
These highly-coveted internships help remove barriers experienced by disabled people in employment, allowing them to achieve their full potential and improve disability awareness within the workplace.
Change 100 also delivers a dedicated six-month professional development programme during and after the internship, enabling disabled students to find and sustain employment to develop their careers and improve their skills and confidence. Change 100 also supports businesses in offering advice and guidance on how to support students with disabilities and long-term conditions.
Some Change 100 employers include Greenpeace, BBC, Arup and Taylor Wimpey.
Emma Stewart, a 2020 Change 100 intern, who completed a work experience placement at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), said:
“The Change 100 experience has completely transformed my approach – it has made me think outside the box and I’m now more open-minded about jobs in different sectors. Now I have much more confidence in my ability and realised I’m not the only one who faces challenges or barriers, which is an example of how the programme is tailored to each intern.”
Change 100 was a finalist for the 2018 National Undergraduate Employability Awards, in the category of Best Disability Initiative in Work Experience, as well as the proud winner of the 2015 and 2016 RIDI Awards.
Applications are open until 7 January 2021. Students are encouraged to apply at leonardcheshire.org/change100 as soon as possible for these highly sought for placements.
Want to find out more?
This is the information for their open presentation and Q&A sessions:
– 1st December, 6-7pm. Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUldeyvpzgrGN3F970uBsBR-ofbyiK6BdxY
– 17th December, 5-6pm. (Last one before Deadline) Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oceyrpjkiGtLmq7czPUh1fmCFbP11W18D
– Also, on 10th December, there will be a ‘Meet the Alumni’ event, including more individual conversations in breakout rooms. Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvf-CrpjIoH9YXoNGzoruHjbN9GyQ2lyTj
Getting further support from The Careers and Enterprise Team at CCCU
You can get ongoing careers support via the following ways:
