Case study - Centrica

Company background

Centrica is a top 30 FTSE 100 company involved in the complete energy journey from sourcing to supplying. We have growing businesses across the UK, North America and Western Europe.

The challenge

To provide a positive, structured learning experience for summer placement students whilst delivering real value and return on investment to the wider business. To develop a pipeline of proven talent that will progress onto the graduate programme.

Placement benefits

  • Fresh set of ideas brought to new/existing project/task.
  • Shows the significant value summer students/graduates can add in the long term.
  • Key piece of assessment for progression to graduate programme.
  • Gives future UK workforce experience prior to joining industry.
  • Gives students insight into working for Centrica and whether this is right career choice.
  • Chance to put academic learning into practice.
  • Relationships with HE bodies built through recruitment campaign.

Results

  • Expectations are that a significant proportion of the summer placement students will be made an offer to join.
  • 100% retention rate of summer placement students recruited onto the graduate programme since its inception, including geoscience and engineering disciplines.
  • Placement students are given real projects that when completed add significant value to the business.
  • 96% of line managers indicated that placement students added value.
  • 86% of line managers said they would employ another student at the next intake.
  • We have four previous 2007 interns joining the 2009 graduate programme demonstrating our long-standing commitment to quality work experience provision and continued development of our students.
  • We take the time to evaluate the contribution work experience has made to the business and the contribution that our business has made to students' opportunities.
  • 75% of line managers are still in touch with their placement students after they have left.

Information provided by The National Council for Work Experience (NCWE).

Department for Business, Innovation, & Skills