In 2025, we opened our first theme-park based Supported Internship programme in partnership with the team at Gulliver’s World, after a successful year running the scheme with three students at Sodexo. And it’s been a magical journey for our interns!
Jamal, Noah, Millie, Eliott, Hifza and Lee are the six determined interns who joined the busy team at the resort park in autumn 2025 – and they have been thriving in their placement since. With different interests, needs and abilities, our team worked with Gulliver’s World to match every intern’s individual skills covering areas like Retail & Stores, Catering, Rides, Park Care, Hotel, Upkeep and Grounds.
Jemma Golden, Internship Lead at Bridge College, highlights the impact of the programme:
“Supported internships empower young adults in the workplace, build futures and change lives. Gulliver’s World is an amazing Supported Internship programme that offers fantastic opportunities to gain real-world experience in a fun and engaging environment, especially for those who benefit from additional support in their learning and development.
There are lots of different areas to the park so their days are varied. When the park is closed to the public they help with grounds maintenance, painting jobs, decorating Santa’s Grotto, and upkeep in the hotels.
During busy periods, the interns work with the public: helping out in the shops, cleaning and organising the restaurants and many more.
What do the interns think?
Some have joined this internship programme because they want to hone in their skills before a paid position, some love talking to people, others love being helpful, and some are passionate about the workplace – however, halfway through the programme they all feel right at home in the Gulliver’s team.
Current intern Noah shares his experience:
“I like working at Gulliver’s because I’m a roller coaster enthusiast and I love working around rides and things like that. I think this internship is good for me because it’s helping me grow in confidence, gain necessary skills for employment and I’ve met some great people along the way.”
Want to hear more from our interns and their motivations to join the scheme? Watch the video below!
A strong local community
Supported internships aren’t only a great opportunity for our interns, but they also provide a lot of benefits for the employer. Mel, Safety and Training Manager at Gulliver’s World tells us that at Gulliver’s World they are a family business so they appreciate all the extra help from the interns. Since they are a close-knit and hands-on team, they’ve been encouraging the interns to do the same jobs at the park that their team is already doing.
It’s really worthwhile! You get to know the interns really well, it’s putting something into the business and it’s helping us change things around here.”
Mel
A path to employment
Some of the interns on the Gulliver’s World Supported Internship scheme are not new to work experience: some of them are former students at Bridge College, our specialist education setting for students aged 16 to 25 with learning difficulties, disabilities, complex health needs and autism.
Preparing students for adulthood is a key part of our curriculum, so keen students like Elliot and Hifza have made the most of their time at Bridge and completed multiple work experience placements. And the impact is clear – both of them have reported feeling more confident and ready to tackle unfamiliar situations.
When they graduated from Bridge College, the transition into a Supported Internship felt natural, and staff did their best to support them into the intern role. Elliot has always been passionate about theatre and Hifza is great with people – Gulliver’s World was the perfect match.
About supported Internships
Now in its second year, our Supported Internship programme provides hands-on experience in a dynamic and supportive environment for young people aged 16–24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), offering an exciting pathway into the world of work. At Gulliver’s World interns gain practical skills in areas including retail and stores, park care, catering, hotel services, rides, and general upkeep – helping prepare them for future paid employment.
The main goal of an internship is to help a young person with learning difficulties to develop the skills they need to be able to gain paid work.
The length of the course is one academic year, and the aim is to secure paid employment on completion along with developing other meaningful skills.
