The use of interns is a subject which has raised a great deal of controversy across several industries in the last few years. Unpaid internships have attracted criticism from student groups, industry bodies and even government.
This has led many companies to become wary of interns, if not avoid them outright. Which can be a problem, since it can provide an excellent way for companies to encourage, support and find future employees who understand the company’s business and have already had a period of employment to find out if they fit.
The University of Dundee has a solution: The Scottish Internship Graduate Certificate at the University of Dundee
We’ll let the university explain…
- Do you have a company project which you haven’t had the time/resources to complete?
- Is your organisation struggling to recruit extra staff through conventional methods?
- Would you like to play host to a graduate who can bring fresh ideas and expertise to your business?
The Scottish Graduate Internship Certificate (SIGC) is an eight month long credit-bearing course combining a quality 6 month internship with career planning modules, offered through the Careers Service at the University of Dundee. The course is unique in that no other Scottish University currently offers an accredited graduate internship programme.
The course is open to graduates from any subject discipline so potential project areas could include social media, computer games, politics, education, engineering, marketing, finance, research, IT, management or design. We had considerable interest from graduates interested in computer games (and have several working in the sector through SIGC 2013) so are particularly keen to hear from employers in this sector. Graduates don’t need to have studied at Dundee before and don’t necessarily have to be recent graduates – they could be looking to change sectors for example.
As a placement host you will be expected to take on a student for a six month full-time internship, commencing in February 2014. You will be expected to allocate a project to the student which is both meaningful and beneficial for your organisation, and which also helps the student develop and make full use of their own skills, knowledge and experience. We ask employers to contribute a minimum of £371 a month training allowance to their interns to cover travel/relocation costs etc.
Basically, it’s a win-win situation all round, you will get a cost-effective member of your team for six months with an interest and expertise in your field and the student will get some meaningful work experience to enhance their CV and help with their future career prospects.
As well as graduate placements, we also run shorter placements for undergraduate students from all subject disciplines. If you would be interested in finding out more about any of our placement schemes, please contact Karen Sleith at the Careers Service, University of Dundee on: 01382 386965. Email – k.l.sleith@dundee.ac.uk. Online: www.dundee.ac.uk/careers
Student Applicants – If you are reading this as a prospective applicant for the SIGC course then we would be delighted to hear from you. You would need to have an ordinary degree or equivalent to join us on the programme. SIGC aims to equip you with the knowledge, understanding and practical experience necessary to enhance your employability. It is aimed at graduates with all levels of work experience, whether you are looking to launch your career, seeking ways to further develop your career path or gain experience in a new area / sector. For more information on the course please visit http://www.dundee.ac.uk/careers/careerseducationmodules/sigc/
