Wirral SEND Intern Lands First Premier Inn Hotel Job 2026

Key Points

• Matty Collins becomes the first individual to be employed in his local community through the Wirral training scheme for SEND young people.
• He completed a one-year Supported Internship at Premier Inn and Wirral Met College.
• Mr Collins is being employed at Premier Inn and has been recognized as the Supported Intern of the Year at the Further Education Awards.
• The training program was held at a specially created mini-Premier Inn at Conway Park campus of Wirral Met College, which was launched in July 2025.
• The facility was established through a partnership between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Whitbread, the owner of Premier Inn, and Wirral Met College.
• It features three en-suite bedrooms, a reception desk, a corridor and a linen room providing the opportunity to practice hotel skills in a realistic environment.
• Mr Collins is currently able to clean up to 18 rooms per shift and started to train for breakfast and front-of-house positions.
• He helps new interns on placement days based on his internship experience.
• Wirral Met College says that its supported internships are intended for 16 to 24-year-old individuals with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 21, 2026 – A Wirral man has become the first participant in a local SEND employment programme to secure a job with Premier Inn after completing a supported internship delivered with Wirral Met College. Matty Collins finished a one-year Supported Internship and has now joined the hotel company as a team member, according to Birkenhead News.

As reported by Birkenhead News, Mr Collins said he was proud that people with learning disabilities could work in places such as hotels.

“Even if it’s part-time or full-time, having a job is something to be proud of and everyone deserves that opportunity,”

he said.

How did the Wirral SEND scheme help Matty Collins?

The programme combined classroom-based preparation with practical experience in a hotel-style training environment. Mr Collins completed his internship with Premier Inn and Wirral Met College, where he was exposed to the pace, expectations and unpredictability of hospitality work.

Birkenhead News reported that, rather than treating the placement as training, Mr Collins approached it as though he was already employed. He said this mindset helped him build a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility.

His progress led to employment with Premier Inn at the end of his final year. He also received the Supported Intern of the Year award at the Further Education Awards.

What did Matty Collins say about the internship?

Mr Collins described the difference between college and workplace training. “The training was totally different to college because it was in a real Premier Inn,” he told Birkenhead News. “Some days were really fun and easy and some days were really hard, but that’s what made it feel real.”

He added that he treated the placement as if he already worked at the hotel and had to complete every task properly.

“I think that’s what helped me achieve my goals,”

he said.

Mr Collins also reflected on his earlier concerns about the future. “A year before I left college, I was one of those students who wasn’t in much and I was really worried about my future, because everyone kept saying I wouldn’t manage,” he said. “Then I started the training and I just kept going. I got there in the end.”

Where did the training take place?

The practical element of the programme was based at Wirral Met College’s Conway Park Campus. In July 2025, the college opened an in-house training facility developed through a partnership between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Whitbread and Wirral Met College.

The facility is designed as a miniature Premier Inn hotel. It contains three en-suite bedrooms, a reception desk, a corridor and a linen room, giving students a safe and supportive setting in which to develop hospitality skills.

As reported by Wirral Met College, the facility was launched at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 2, 2025, attended by Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Simon Ewins, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK Hotels & Restaurants.

Who supported Matty Collins during the programme?

Mr Collins received support from Denise O’Neill, a job coach at Wirral Met College. According to Birkenhead News, she encouraged him to move beyond his comfort zone, helped him adjust to tasks he initially found difficult and supported the development of his confidence.

Mr Collins said that, at the beginning, he needed support and had a job coach helping him. “Over time you start doing more on your own,” he said. “At first, I thought I was too slow and I wasn’t going to manage it, but then I kept practising and my numbers went up and up.”

What role does Matty Collins now do at Premier Inn?

Mr Collins is now a Premier Inn team member and can clean up to 18 rooms during a shift. He has recently begun training in breakfast and front-of-house roles to broaden his experience.

Birkenhead News reported that he has ambitions of promotion and has impressed colleagues. “I’m not just staying where I am – I’m training on breakfast now and learning new things, so I can move on when a job comes up,” he said.

He said he would like to become head of housekeeping or lead a team in future. “People have said they see bigger things for me, and that makes me want to do more,” he added.

How is Matty Collins supporting new students?

Mr Collins now shares his experience with the next group of students during placement days at his hotel. He regularly checks in with them during shifts, particularly when they feel overwhelmed.

According to Birkenhead News, he offers practical tips and peer-to-peer encouragement, often helping students to refocus during stressful moments. “Now when new students come in, I can help them because I’ve been in that position,” he said.

He added: “When they’re stressed, I just tell them it’s okay and to keep going. It’s good to be able to support them because I know what it feels like, and I hope more people from the course get jobs too.”

What is the wider Wirral SEND programme?

The Conway Park facility forms part of Wirral Council’s wider programme to expand supported internships and improve employment pathways for young people with SEND.

Wirral Met College says its supported internships are aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 with an EHCP and focus on work experience, life skills and confidence building. The college lists both a Premier Inn Supported Pre-Internship and a Supported Internship at Conway Park, each lasting one year.

The Premier Inn Supported Pre-Internship prepares students for a supported internship within Premier Inn. Students spend three days a week at college, training in the mini hotel using Premier Inn resources, before progressing to placements at one of more than 20 Premier Inn hotels in the Liverpool City Region, five of which are in Wirral.

Background of the development

The Wirral training facility is part of Whitbread’s national Thrive programme, an employer-led initiative supporting young people with SEND into work. Whitbread, the UK’s largest hospitality company and owner of Premier Inn, expanded Thrive into the Liverpool City Region in 2025.

Whitbread said the programme is intended to help it achieve its ambition of creating 100 supported internships from special educational needs establishments into paid employment each year. The company also said the Wirral facility is expected to support an additional 36 students annually across the Liverpool City Region.

Wirral Met College Principal and Chief Executive Gill Banks said the partnership between education and industry gives young people with SEND the opportunity to develop practical, real-world skills in a setting where they feel safe, supported and valued.

SENDLO Wirral reported that Wirral Council supported the wider Thrive project with funding from the National Development Team for Inclusion through the Internships Work Programme. It also reported that the council aimed to increase the number of supported internships available to young people by 2026.

Prediction: what could this mean for SEND students and employers?

For young people with SEND in Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region, Mr Collins’s employment may provide a clear example that supported internships can lead to paid work rather than ending at the training stage. His role as a mentor to newer students may also help future participants understand what to expect during placements and build confidence before entering a workplace.

For local employers, the development may strengthen the case for structured partnerships with colleges and SEND services. The Wirral facility gives students practical exposure to hospitality standards, while employers gain a supported route for identifying and developing potential staff.

If the programme continues to produce employment outcomes, it could encourage more hospitality businesses in the Liverpool City Region to participate in supported internship schemes. The immediate effect is likely to be greater visibility for SEND employment pathways, particularly among students, families, schools and colleges considering post-16 options.