Tag Archives: Cornwall

Employer Case Study: The Falmouth Distilling Co

Name of Organisation: The Falmouth Distilling Co 

Description of Organisation:  

A distillery on the Cornish coast creating multi-award winning small-batch spirits designed to enjoy in favourite company. With backgrounds in cheffing, science and design, their gins are uniquely distilled with fresh and foraged botanicals, with a focus on incredible flavour, sustainability, and careful craftsmanship. 

Name of Employer: Daisy Hillier 

Job Title: Director 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Business Partnership (SBP) |Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter 

Feedback: 

“It was Francesca’s responsibility to produce comprehensive sales and marketing data on our own company and market research on others, to understand the size of market. Also, to understand weaknesses of Lovedays and where we should be positioning ourselves. 

She provided really valuable research into our customer base which we can use to better inform our marketing. 

Francesca was an absolute joy to work with, we would employ her in an instant if we had a role for her. She’s clever, self-motivated and has a real desire to be helpful and learn.” 

 Student Quote –  

“My internship has been eye-opening, exciting, and intriguing. I have loved every minute! The work I have undertaken has really assisted my development of organisation (working alongside my degree), IT skills, and general development of understanding what tasks may be given in a sales and marketing position.”

Read Francescas Student Case Study: https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/internships/student-case-study-the-falmouth-distilling-co/ 

Student Case Study: The Falmouth Distilling Co

Name of Student: Francesca Whetstone 

Degree Subject: Law with Business 

Job Title: Sales Intern 

Company Name: The Falmouth Distilling Co 

Description of Organisation:  

The Falmouth Distilling Co is a distillery on the Cornish coast creating multi-award winning small-batch spirits designed to enjoy in favourite company. With backgrounds in cheffing, science and design, their gins are uniquely distilled with fresh and foraged botanicals, with a focus on incredible flavour, sustainability, and careful craftsmanship. 

 Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key duties and responsibilities were market research into repeat customers and gaining understanding of customer base. I also completed detailed research into competitors, looking at customer journeys. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was completing a market research report which helped me develop new reporting skills as well as greater business awareness. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I felt quite overwhelmed at first as I didn’t feel like I had the relevant experience to produce the report. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Work Load Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Researching  

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Motivation 
  • Initiative 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Creative Thinking  
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“My internship has been eye-opening, exciting, and intriguing. I have loved every minute! The work I have undertaken has really assisted my development of organisation (working alongside my degree), IT skills, and general development of understanding what tasks may be given in a sales and marketing position.

I was given a thorough brief, which I have been supported by Ruth, Daisy and Chloe to meet. They have been a pleasure to work alongside and have been so supportive of any ideas I had. It has helped me to understand where I might see my career path direction, whilst fulfilling an interest of mine – the distilling process!” 

Employer Case Study: RJ Working

Name of Organisation: RJ Working  

Description of Organisation:  

RJ Working is a charity-sector organisation working across different sectors in Cornwall such as the education sector, public sector services, the arts sector.    Our primary purpose is to equip children and young people with the language, skills and confidence to lead Restorative Practice development in their communities. Quite simply, ‘Restorative’ means making things better.   

Name of Employer: Deborah Mitchell 

Job Title: CEO 

Internship Scheme used 

Employer Subsidies – Access to Internships | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

Katelyn’s work has been an invaluable asset since she joined us. She has embraced all the learning opportunities on offer and has shown her capability of developing her skills set in response to a variety of challenges. We have seen her grow in confidence and initiative and take on increasing responsibilities within the team. 

Employer Case Study: Evexia Home Ltd

 Name of Organisation: Evexia Home Ltd 

Description of Organisation:  

Dr Tony Felton, Roy Margolis and Tammy Harvie are the founders and inventors of LifeAide. We have a passion to improve the quality of life of older people and those supporting them. Our backgrounds as a General Practitioner, software engineer and research expert in technology to support healthy ageing, have led us to develop this exciting new product, called LifeAide. We have incorporated a company called Evexia Home Ltd which is our start-up vehicle. 

Name of Employer: Dr Anthony Felton 

Job Title: Director 

Internship Scheme used:  

Employer Subsidies – Access to Internships | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“We were lucky to have a high-quality intern student who had a genuine interest in the subject and both technical and vocation expertise in the area of development that we were working in. The experience was positive for our organisation and I hope we provided Martha with some useful experience that she can use to forge her future career.” 

Employer Case Study: Borneo Nature Foundation

Name of Organisation: Borneo Nature Foundation 

Description of Organisation:  The Borneo Nature Foundation is a research and conservation organisation which works to protect Borneo’s unique and diverse rainforest habitats and wildlife, notably the critically endangered orangutan. BNF achieves this through programmes of research, advocacy, restoration, education and capacity building, and empowering community-led conservation initiatives to protect habitat. 

Name of Employer: Helen Morrogh-Bernard 

Job Title: Director 

Internship Scheme used:  

Employer Subsidies – Access to Internships | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“I had a very positive experience having an intern. She was very willing to do what we asked, and I was very happy with what she did. The process to get the intern was straight forward and easy.” 

Student Case Study: RJ Working

Name of Student:  Katelyn Wells

Degree Subject:  BSc Business

Job Title: PR and Communications Support Worker

Company Name:  RJ Working

Type of Internship: Access to Internships (A2I) 

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

I have been responsible for the set-up and maintenance of a new, fit-for-purpose, website for the organisation. I have also taken a key role in the internal and external communications which aided in my role of organising two events, one being the 10th Birthday Party for the organisation, and the other working with a team to deliver an event for young people across Cornwall.                                                                                                                                       

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I have loved my internship and have had the opportunity to learn and develop my skill set in many areas. Regarding hard skills, project management, communication and web design are just a few that I have enjoyed. Being able to work on and deliver an incredible event to young people regarding tackling discrimination has been brilliant.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • IT

Attributes Developed:

  • Creative thinking
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

What I have enjoyed the most is the development of team communications, working in a small charity that are all so passionate about social and cultural change has been an incredible experience that I will carry with me throughout my career. I have been supported in challenging my capabilities both professionally and personally. My confidence in a professional environment has grown substantially. Overall my experience with the internship has been invaluable.

Employer Quote: 

“She has been critical to the launch and development of our website, our twitter developing use of Twitter and our events management. In July Katelyn was central for 2 events – co-ordinating our Tenth Birthday Party celebration, hosted at Trebah Garden, and a Together For Justice event for young people in which she played a leading role. Katelyn has also been central to our Climate Action Group, helping to co-ordinate, noting meetings.” – Deborah Mitchell CEO

Employer Case Study: 

https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/internships/employer-case-study-rj-working-cio/

Employer Case Study:  University of Exeter Business School

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter Business School

Name of Employer: David Monciardini

Job Title: Senior Lecturer

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern took an active role in our event on local food policy contributing in a very mature way to the debate about food insecurity.

Some of his tasks were:

– Research on Sustainable Food Places network.
– Comparison of Sustainable Food Places policies with Milan Urban Food Policy Pact ones.
– Presentation of the results of the desk research.
– Data mining and investigation of local food policy partnerships in Cornwall.
– Organisation of a policy research event as part of the Cornwall Food Policy Pact

The student is really quick to learn and he has a bright character that will allow him to work well with everyone in his future career. A great person to work with. I had a very positive experience and I hope he also benefited from this internship.”

 

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter – TQAE

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter – TQAE

Name of Employer: Craig McEwan

Job Title: Academic Developer

Internship Scheme used: Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter

Feedback:

“The interns worked as a team accross three main university projects:

Assessment Reimagined:
Interns mapped the assessment journeys of students on 16 undergraduate programmes that had been identified as priorities by the project lead; painting a detailed picture of what assessment consists of on these programmes. After gathering data module-by-module, the interns compiled reports summarising the assessment journeys for each programme, before zooming out and looking at any broader trends that could be identified accross HASS and STEM programmes. In addition, they conducted a survey of students about their assessment experiences at Exeter and incorporated their key findings and analysis into a final report. This work forms part of the university’s wider Assessment Reimagined project. The findings from both their mapping and student engagement work will help to influence proposals around potential assessment changes over the coming months.

Learning Landscapes:
The interns produced a report with their analysis of study spaces at Streatham campus. This included their views on what defines a good study space and examples of good practice that we currently have at Exeter. Their recommendations focused primarily on how the university could raise awareness of underutilised study spaces and better communicate them to students at Exeter. They created several mock-ups / prototypes of comms in a variety of mediums that the university could use or expand upon to get these messages accross. One of the interns also conducted a series of short interviews with students to better understand their study preferences and their awareness of the range of study spaces on campus. These findings were included in the final project report.

Development of a new chatbot with the Digital team:
Although the Digital team are working with external consultants to develop the technical elements of the chatbot, the interns played an important role in defining and articulating the chatbot’s ‘personality’ and communications tone. They compiled research on other chatbots, before creating a name for the new chatbot (Robi) and defining its personality traits and backstory (creating storyboards and promo materials to communicate this effectively). They drafted answers to a series of personality/non-support questions that can be used by the chatbot and created a Tone Blueprint, which will act as something of a style guide for the chatbot’s responses when it is up and running. This work has been gratefully recieved by the Digital team and complements the more technical work that they have been doing to develop the chatbot.

I think their biggest achievement was meeting all of their main project goals in what was essentially five weeks of work. Their ability work as a team and support each other was crucial and a big part of their success. I was blown away by their professionalism and their willingness to take on challenges and tasks that were out of their comfort zones.

This was my first involvement with Students as Change Agents, and was my first time managing SCP interns. While I was a little nervous about taking on six at once, it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I was fortunate enough that they were an absolute dream group. I really couldn’t have asked for a better bunch. Their ability to support each other was so impressive and certainly made my job a lot easier. It was great to watch them develop new skills and interests that they didn’t expect, and to see their confidence build over the course of the internships. Based on the feedback that I’ve received so far, they have been positive about their experiences and some have even applied for other internships at the university. I also want to note the benefit that we had from adopting an agile working framework for the duration of the internships, facilitated and supported by colleagues in the Digital team. The use of agile working methods gave the interns a real sense of structure and was instrumental in them getting off to such a quick and successful start with their projects.”

Employer Case Study: RJ Working CIO

Name of Organisation: RJ Working CIO – a charity for children and young people

Name of Employer: Deborah Mitchell

Job Title: CEO

Internship Scheme used: Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:                        

“Katelyn joined us as an intern specialising in PR and communications. Our organisation is very dynamic and fast-moving and she has found her place in that and made a lot of contributions joining things up. She has been critical to the launch and development of our website, our twitter developing use of Twitter and our events management. In July Katelyn was central for 2 events – co-ordinating our Tenth Birthday Party celebration, hosted at Trebah Garden, and a Together For Justice event for young people in which she played a leading role. Katelyn has also been central to our Climate Action Group, helping to co-ordinate, noting meetings,

Katelyn’s teamwork and leadership of our Together for Justice conference /event in July was a huge achievement. Also contributing proactively to our organisational culture, in ways that are very important at a time of growth. She understands the nuances and is a skilled communicator and has a strong understanding of both task and process.

Katelyn has been exposed to the hectic nature of a small organisation at a time of growth and development, and the non-linear nature of our offer to a segmented market. She has embraced all the learning opportunities on offer and has shown her capability of developing her skills set in response to a variety of challenges, We have seen her grow in confidence and initiative and take on increasing responsibilities within the team.”

Employer Case Study: Morrab Library

Name of Organisation: Morrab Library

Description of Organisation: The Morrab Library is an independent library based in Penzance, Cornwall in the UK. It holds over 60,000 books, and extensive archive collections. Notable collections include the Dawson Napoleonic Collection comprising over 3,000 engravings and prints, photographic collections of over 15,000 prints and negatives, extensive runs of 18th and 19th century journals, the Jenner Collection of Cornish and Celtic books, and over 2,000 books printed from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Name of Employer: Lisa Di Tommaso

Job Title: Librarian

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern wrote a lengthy paper on the life of JT Blight within the context of the treatment of the mentally ill in 19th century Cornwall, which will be posted on our website and on social media. The paper will also be added to our archival collections, thus enhancing our understanding of the collections we hold. In due course, the intern will also return to deliver a talk to our members on the topic of her research.

This level of in-depth research and the length of the paper she produced were new to our intern, and she achieved a high standard in her work. She also worked largely alone, consulting myself and colleagues as needed, but essentially taking on the project and her choice of research materials herself, providing her with a great opportunity to learn about the techniques and process of academic research.

We very much enjoyed welcoming the intern as part of the team, and were incredibly sad to see her go when her time was completed. Her contribution to our knowledge of the library’s collections was greatly enhanced. I believe it was a highly positive experience for both us, and the intern.”