Adopt an intern - helping graduates onto the career ladder

Are you seeking an internship to help take your first step on the career ladder?

A new, highly successful graduate intern programme called ‘Adopt an Intern’, part-funded by the Scottish Government, is offering paid work experience and leading the way by helping graduates make a real contribution across public, private and third sectors.

The intern programme is the brainchild of the Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP), an independent think tank, which has been delighted by the success of the initiative and the positive response from participants.

Each placement lasts a minimum of three months and is paid, through a government grant or by the employing organisation itself; with both the graduates and their employers recognising the mutual benefits of this innovative initiative.

The CSPP is now gearing up for the second year of the Programme and expects to be able to support another 100 graduates across yet more Scottish organisations in 2011 and beyond, even looking to extend the placements internationally.
 
Joy Lewis, CSPP’s intern programme manager explains further:
 
“Adopt an Intern is our response to the continuing rise in youth and graduate unemployment.  We carried out initial market testing in 2009 and the feedback from both potential students and a high quality, cross-section of Scottish economic life, convinced us of the value of the programme.  Over the last 12 months, we have been delighted with the interest from Scotland’s graduates and the outstanding level of support from a wide range of organisations across the country.

In the current economic climate, it is a real challenge for graduates to get their first foot on the career ladder and this Programme helps them achieve much needed work experience and skills whilst making a significant difference.  Many charities and voluntary groups, as well as small to medium sized private businesses, are benefitting from the supply of high quality, new talent who add real value to their organisation.

One of the key success points of the programme is that we identify and select the top 3 graduates on behalf of the company, helping to make the recruitment process run simply, smoothly and quickly.     

We also offer a very personal service; encouraging students to stay in touch, ask questions and continue their development with us.  We even organise opportunities for our interns to get together and learn from each other’s experiences.”

Further information is available on the CSPP website -  www.cspp.org.uk