More than 100 paid internship opportunities have been offered to Hull graduates as part of a programme to support them during the challenging months of the pandemic.
In response to a national shortage of job vacancies, the University of Hull’s careers service, Student Futures, has secured 100 internal internships for Hull students graduating in 2019 and 2020. The graduate recruits were given the opportunity to develop their skills across areas including academic research, marketing, HR, software development and a range of other specialisms.
According to graduate careers analyst, Prospects, UK graduate vacancies are significantly lower than usual. Additionally, the frequency of job advertisements during the first week of February was reduced by 20% compared to the same time last year. The current job landscape certainly suggests that the Student Futures internship initiative is well-timed.
For American Studies graduate, Georgia Kingston, an internship within the Student Futures team itself allowed her to pinpoint future career opportunities and gain valuable work experience. Georgia said: “Before starting my internship, I was unsure on the career path I wanted to pursue, and with a background in the multidisciplinary degree of American Studies, I was not confined to a specific path after graduation.”
“Taking an interest in Marketing, I have been given the opportunity to focus on gaining more experience in this area, running social media accounts for the Student Futures team and promoting the trimester’s upcoming events.”
The internship scheme has been received positively by Hull graduates. Benjamin Jamieson, who completed an internship with the University’s Teaching Excellence Academy – a department dedicated to developing, celebrating and promoting high quality teaching, said: “I wholeheartedly recommend internships to any future graduates – they are a great way to develop professional skillsets and provide the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects.”
“The internship not only developed my transferable skills but also gave me insight into jobs and graduate schemes.”
Not only have the internships influenced the future of Hull graduates, but have also driven improvements for future generations of students. Ben said: “I created a ‘Good Practice Guide’, which provides guidance on how to display modules in the most accessible way for students and highlights information that students might find useful.”
Ben was able to make a meaningful difference, giving lecturers the opportunity to enhance the accessibility of teaching material and subsequently the student experience as a whole.
These positive internship experiences and valuable work output are testament to the mutually-beneficial nature of the scheme for both the University and students. From the Logistics Institute to the Finance Directorate, staff across the University have dedicated their time and enthusiasm to making the interns’ experience a career-enhancing experience.
Reflecting on the programme, Head of Student Futures, John Harrison, said: “As a result of the pandemic, students and graduates across the UK are facing an exceptionally challenging labour market. We are a lifelong careers service and are going above and beyond to support all of our students, and in particular our graduates, to ensure they are maximising their chances of securing an opportunity.”
“Our internal internship programme is just one of the ways we are supporting our students and graduates – and we are delighted the programme has been such a success.”
The Student Futures Team continue to provide support for Hull students and graduates throughout the pandemic; they regularly update their Twitter page with careers events, news, and opportunities which can be found here.
Thanks to all staff who welcomed interns into the following areas:
Teaching Excellence Academy; Student Services Directorate; Finance Directorate; Logistics Institute; Development and Alumni Relations Office; Energy and Environment Institute; Human Resources and Organisational Development; Marketing and Communications; Knowledge Exchange, Research and Enterprise; Lampada; Doctoral College; Research and Innovation; Faculty of Business, Law and Politics; Faculty of Health Sciences; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education