Bupa expands Career Ready internship programme to drive greater inclusion

Bupa Global & UK has expanded its long running internship programme to drive greater inclusion and employment opportunities for young disabled people.

This year Bupa Global & UK has taken on a record 50 sixth form students as part of its long-standing partnership with Career Ready, a UK-wide social mobility charity that connects young people from underrepresented backgrounds with employers.

Bupa is also leading a pilot where 20 per cent of its internships have been offered to disabled students*, with interns also hosted by corporate partners including BP and Citi.

As part of Bupa’s role as the Official Healthcare Partner for ParalympicsGB, this pilot seeks to boost employment opportunities for young disabled people, with the ambition to expand the number of students and corporate partners year on year. According to disability equality charity Scope, disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people**.

The interns benefit from wraparound support from Bupa over 12 months, which includes monthly sessions with a Bupa mentor, workplace visits, masterclasses to learn workplace skills and mental health support.

Interns will also complete a month-long paid internship this summer, with placements available across five Bupa locations and designed with their interests and career aspirations in mind. Students will have the opportunity to be embedded in a number of different areas of the Bupa business including finance, communications, IT, legal and audit functions.

Scope is also providing additional support to disabled interns including access to e-learning platform ‘Learn at Scope’ and workplace training, as well as providing training to line managers. Interns will also have the opportunity to meet inspiring Paralympians at ParalympicsGB headquarters.

Anna Russell, Director for The Bupa Foundation said: “Our partnership with Career Ready means that we’ve supported hundreds of young people to reach their career ambitions, and we learn just as much from our interns as they do from us.

“It’s never been more important to support the next generation to get on the career ladder so I’m pleased that we have been able to provide an even more inclusive experience this year, supporting even more young people into the world of work.”

Jen Hartley, Director of Fundraising & Business Development at Career Ready said: “We’re really pleased to be able to build on our partnership with Bupa and to help them deliver increased opportunities for disabled students, too.

“The interns gain so much from their time with Bupa, it’s fantastic to see them flourish under the support of their mentors as well as gain so many new skills in their chosen business area, that set them up for productive, happy, life long careers.”

Bupa is committed to supporting young people starting out in their careers and also offers graduate placements and a large-scale apprenticeship programme. Bupa places around 1,000 apprenticeships each year within dental, caring and nursing roles, as well as within digital technology and leadership development. Over 80 per cent of Bupa’s apprentices remain with the business at least one year after completing their training.

Bupa’s ‘Be You at Bupa’ commitment means that everyone in the business – from all backgrounds – can feel comfortable bringing their whole self to work every day. By celebrating and supporting people’s differences, Bupa aims to promote collaboration, encouraging everyone to feel comfortable at work.