Internships

Helping students to be business-ready!

Every year more than 10,000 students leave university and turn up for their first day to work in the Computing industry. They arrive from an increasingly varied background to do an increasingly varied range of job roles.  But are they ready for what lies ahead?

When employers were asked about how well prepared these young individuals are for the business environment, they praised the enthusiasm, positive attitude, passion, creativity and team working skills but were worried about the ‘employability’ of these new graduates.  Despite all the efforts by schools, colleges and universities they still lack the communication skills, and the understanding of business that is needed by employers.

One of the best ways that a student can develop these ‘business-ready’ interpersonal skills is to take a sandwich year while at university.  Unfortunately fewer and fewer students are taking up this opportunity with number now falling to less than 20%. This is much lower than the European average of 55%.  

A nationally recognised scheme has now been developed to help young people take up work placements where they will ‘earn while they learn’. This means they'll get a good salary between their second and third years at university and as a result are much more likely to get a job when they leave.

Employers such as British Airways, Computer Associates, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, IBM, Network Rail and  Proctor &Gamble have been working together to develop an IT internship programme that will significantly lift the number of students undertaking placements, and ensure that the skills and knowledge acquired are what employers really want, not what others think they want.

More details are available at www.e-skills.com/internship