Two young people from Amazon in Manchester are sharing the story of how their skills and confidence have grown thanks to one of the UK’s leading supported internship programmes.
Charlie Knight and Benjamin Robinson are supported interns at Amazon in Manchester, starting their internship in late 2025 and graduating this summer.
Supported internships are structured work-based study programmes for young people aged 16 to 24 with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or equivalent.
For young people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, barriers to employment are particularly acute, with just 6% of adults with a learning disability in England currently in paid work, despite 86% wanting to do so1, according to data from local authorities.
The supported internship programme at Amazon was launched in 2021 in a bid to see more young people with SEND enter the workforce. It was expanded in 2023 through an ongoing partnership with national charity DFN Project Search. Since the launch of the programme, almost 300 young people have started a supported internship with Amazon, making the company the UK’s largest private sector provider of supported internships.
Supported internships at Amazon combine classroom education and practical work experience in a number of roles; all within an Amazon fulfilment centre, where items are stored, packed and shipped. More than 155 people who have completed a supported internship at Amazon have gone on to secure permanent roles at the company.
During the initial pilot of the Amazon supported internship programme in 2021, three people graduated from the scheme. Charlie and Ben are among the 140 people with SEND who are graduating from a supported internship across 25 Amazon sites this year. They’ve shared what they’ve learned whilst working at Amazon to inspire others to take part in the programme.
The pair have been working as supported interns at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Manchester since last year. Both started their internships in September 2025 and have just graduated this summer. In the months between, each has quietly surprised themselves.
Having previously completed work experience at Trafalgar Hospital, Charlie brought with him a variety of skills from his time working with people, moving equipment around the wards, and his personal favourite, tending to the hospital grounds every Friday. “Gardening, in my perspective of life, is honestly my favourite thing to do,” he said. “I love looking after things all day. I couldn’t sit down in an office and type all day. I like to keep busy.”
Ben, meanwhile, studied IT at Cheadle College in Greater Manchester, building up technical knowledge with a clear ambition in mind – a career in the IT sector. Amazon, he admits, was not the obvious next step. But it turned out to be exactly what he needed.
For Charlie, the adjustment to warehouse life was swift. He worked across a broad range of roles – from receiving and decanting incoming stock, to single pack. “I like a bit of everything,” he said. “I can’t pick one.”
What drives him is a straightforward philosophy that shapes how he approaches every order. “I usually put myself in a customer’s shoes,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to come home to a package that’s damaged or has a lost item. So whenever I’m packing something, I think – would this meet my standards?”
Among the skills Ben credits most is one he did not expect to take away from a warehouse job.
“Ready, steady, go” – Amazon’s manual handling technique – has, he says, become something he now does out of habit, inside and outside of work. But the growth that has meant the most to him is less physical. “Communication was difficult for me prior to being here,” he said. “I feel like it’s definitely got better since last September.”
Charlie, too, points to timekeeping and the ability to work well with colleagues as things he has developed. The feedback from those around him has reflected this. “Pretty much everyone has said I’ve developed in terms of timekeeping, working with people and asking for help,” he said.
Both interns say the support from the Amazon team made a real difference to their experience, particularly in the early weeks. “I felt really supported,” said Ben. “I had quite a few questions as I was starting, and so many colleagues would drop everything to come and help. They were so nice.”
Charlie echoed this. “I could ask literally anyone, and they would be able to help,” he said.
Their advice to anyone considering a supported internship is clear. “Just give it a try,” said Charlie. “Better to try something than to not try anything. If you don’t like it, at least you know you’ve tried it.”
As for what comes next, the two have different visions, but the same sense of possibility. Long-term, Ben has his sights set firmly on a role in IT, the field he has always wanted to work in. “Since college, it’s been my dream to work in an IT company,” he said, expressing hopes that he might one day pivot into a career at Amazon’s own technology division, AWS.
Charlie, meanwhile, wants to pass on what he has learned to others. “I want to spread my experience with people and train new people into the business,” he said. “So they can go on to train other people. I think it’s cool to give back.”
For Ben, the experience has been something he did not take for granted. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” he said. “I don’t think I would have done any of this without the internship.”
Both interns have been offered jobs at Amazon in Manchester. The graduation ceremony was attended by their families and Amazon colleagues.
Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project Search, said: “Charlie and Benjamin’s journeys are a brilliant reminder of what is possible when young people with a learning disability and/or autism are given a real chance to shine. Watching them grow in confidence and capability at Amazon is wonderful to see.
“We’re incredibly grateful to have host business partners like Amazon, who continue to open doors that might otherwise have been closed and demonstrating that when businesses make disability inclusion a priority, everyone benefits. These young people have so much to offer, and programmes like this give them the platform to showcase their talents and build meaningful careers.”
Nearly 300 young people have now been through the scheme, and Amazon recently announced plans to quadruple the programme, supporting an additional 1,000 young people with learning disabilities and autism into employment by 2030.
The commitment, announced at Amazon’s UK Delivering the Future event in June, builds on the company’s position as the UK’s largest private sector provider of supported internships.
Annual pay for Amazon Operations roles starts from £29,744 and in some locations, £31,824. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
For employees reaching their one-year employment mark, Amazon offers the Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 100% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. To promote a more affordable commuting option for employees, Amazon also offers a season ticket scheme to eligible staff.
Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2026’ by the Top Employer Institute, for the third year in a row, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a fourth consecutive year.
DFN Project SEARCH is a national charity serving young adults with a learning disability or are autistic, or both, to make a positive transition from education into permanent employment. DFN Project SEARCH offers an evidence-based supported internship programme that takes place entirely in the workplace and provides continuous support to young adults aged 16 – 24, with the goal of ensuring a transition to meaningful paid employment for every young adult.
To date, DFN Project SEARCH has supported over 3,600 young people through its programmes with, on average, just under 63% of graduates going on to permanent, paid jobs. DFN Project SEARCH has over 200 host businesses across healthcare, retail, hospitality, maintenance and logistics.
To apply for a supported internship programme with Amazon via DFN Project Search contact info@dfnprojectsearch.org ahead of the company’s September intake.