‘I never thought I could do this’: Swansea teens find their feet inside one of Wales’ busiest warehouses
Aidan Bowles and Jamie Leigh Webber, both 19, walked into the Swansea warehouse last autumn with nerves, no warehouse experience and a fear they might not cope. Months later, they’re navigating millions of storage locations, breaking their own records and talking openly about how the programme has changed their lives.
Finding their feet on the warehouse floor
The pair joined Amazon through a supported internship — a work‑based programme designed for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. They’d been studying Independent Living Skills at Gower College, learning the basics of cooking, travel and day‑to‑day independence.
Nothing prepared them for the scale of the warehouse.
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it,” Jamie Leigh said. “But once you actually get into it, you realise it’s completely fine. I much prefer practical things, and I’ve enjoyed being in the workplace so much more than full‑time college.”
Aidan felt the same nerves — but says the team around him made the difference.
“The support from the Amazon team has been amazing,” he said. “No matter how small the problem, if you ask whoever’s working with you, they’ll know what to do. You just need to be brave enough to ask.”
Jamie Leigh Webber at Amazon Swansea, where she says her confidence has grown “more than I ever expected”.
(Image: UNP / Simon Ridgway / Amazon)
‘I was in tears in the aisle — now I can take you anywhere’
Both interns started out in picking and stowing — two of the core roles that keep the warehouse moving. The building holds around 4.2 million storage locations, and learning to navigate it is a challenge in itself.
For Jamie Leigh, the early days were overwhelming.
“I remember crying in the aisle during training because I couldn’t understand the location system,” she said. “I never thought I’d come this far. Now, if you ask me for directions, I can take you there no problem. I’m like a different person.”
Her output has jumped too — from two carts a day to three, and still climbing.
Aidan says the biggest change for him has been independence.
“Navigation is one of the most important things I’ve learned,” he said. “Knowing where everything is, how to get there, and doing it on my own — that’s been really useful. I have more to offer now than I did before.”
A pathway to paid work
Amazon launched its supported internship programme in 2021 and expanded it in partnership with national charity DFN Project Search. The company says almost 300 young people have taken part so far, with more than 80 going on to secure permanent jobs.
Aidan and Jamie Leigh are due to finish their internship in June — and both hope to stay on.
“Everyone here is so lovely,” Jamie Leigh said. “I haven’t had a single bad interaction since being here. I’d like to stay on if possible.”
Aidan is keeping his options open.
“If this works out, I’ll keep going with it,” he said. “And if not, I have other ideas — maybe similar kinds of work, because I do like what I’m doing.”
‘A reminder of what’s possible’
Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project Search, said the pair’s progress shows what can happen when young people are given a real chance.
“Jamie Leigh and Aidan’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,” she said. “Watching them grow in confidence and capability at Amazon is wonderful to see.”
She added that Amazon’s role as a host employer “opens doors that might otherwise have been closed”.
What comes next
The interns will graduate this summer alongside more than 130 others across 25 Amazon sites. Applications for the next intake open later this year through DFN Project Search.
For Aidan and Jamie Leigh, the next few months are about finishing strong — and proving to themselves just how far they’ve come.
As Jamie Leigh put it: “Don’t assume the worst. Nothing is ever as bad as you think it’s going to be. It’s so much better.”
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