What are the benefits to my organisation?
By offering graduate internships, you can gain access to a talented and ambitious workforce that is well-prepared for work. Graduates on internships can help you to build your business by bringing new skills and a flexible resource into your company. In this way, internships can help you make better use of time, reduce your costs and be more profitable.
A graduate can help develop your business by bringing:
- new ideas and fresh enthusiasm
- additional skills not currently present in your organisation, such as knowledge of new technologies
- an extra resource to tackle projects otherwise put on the ‘backburner’
- a cost-effective and flexible solution to your recruitment needs
By taking on a graduate internship, your organisation will have the opportunity to promote itself as an employer of choice with a diverse talent pool. It can also allow you to assess the quality of graduates for potential long-term employment. Your intern could even be a future leader of your organisation.
At the same time, you will be helping graduates to:
- get real-life work experience soon after leaving university
- gain vital transferable work experience and ‘soft skills’, such as good communication
- try their hand at a profession or career path, helping them to make informed choices about their futures
- prove themselves to an employer and perhaps get a permanent job
A wide variety of organisations are committed to offering internships through Graduate Talent Pool: from international companies such as Microsoft and Marks and Spencer to public bodies such as the Police Service. Many other government partners in the public and higher education sectors are also offering internships.
What leading employers and recruitment experts say
Jackie Orme, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development:
"We know times are tough for business, but times are tough for graduates too and internships are a great way to meet in the middle. Internships help young people gain employability skills like team working and project management that will be invaluable in their future careers. We welcome the matching service to help bring employers looking for interns together with graduates looking for work experience."
Stephen Uden, Head of Skills and Economic Affairs, Microsoft Ltd:
"Internships are an excellent way for companies to access graduate talent and provide graduates with vital skills and experiences to support their future employment. Microsoft is extending its internship programme in 2009 to engage the graduate talent that is essential for our long-term success."
James Chalmers, Head of Strategy and Talent, PriceWaterhouseCoopers:
"Our internship programmes are an established and integral part of our talent pipelines at PricewaterhouseCooper. Typically, 92% of our interns convert to full-time positions. By providing real opportunities and insights into our organisations, students enhance both their employability skills and business awareness while delivering value."
Employers’ case studies
To find out how graduate internships have benefitted a variety of organisations, see the case studies below.
