Tag Archives: Exeter UK

Student Case Study

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Name of Student: Ethan Xavier Thomas Earl 

Degree Subject: Economics & Finance 

Job Title: Project Coordinator 

Company Name: University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

This project is funded by the Education Incubator and led by Barrie Cooper and the Digital Learning Developers in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.  The Education Incubator supports staff from across the University by creating spaces and funding projects in which they can explore and develop pedagogic innovations and ideas. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

Creating content for blogs and social media. Gaining and exhibiting leadership experience when helping to direct events and work processes. Also, showcasing the space to prospective users including students and staff. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

Increasing the number of people borrowing equipment from the Digital Maker Space, especially through a showcase event held at the end of term which was mostly directed by the interns. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

Sometimes we had differing perspectives on what opportunities to pursue for an event at the space, but listening to the diverse range of approaches resulted in a better final approach than any individual would’ve achieved. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration  
  • Problem Solving 
  • Leadership 
  • Customer Service 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Logical thinking 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 
  • Motivation 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 

 

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

My internship experience was my first professional experience and provided a fantastic opportunity for me to gain experience to showcase to prospective employers. Throughout the internship, I learned a lot about the importance of communication and setting goals to achieve the desired outcomes. Finally, I think it was incredible to work alongside two other interns and Barrie our manager, along with a few others, to form a close-knit team which greatly improved the Digital Maker Space over the course of my time there. 

Student Case Study: Exeter Science Park

Name of Student: Rebecca Jones 

Degree Subject: Global Sustainability Solutions 

Job Title: Carbon accountant 

Company Name: Exeter Science Park 

Description of Organisation:  

Exeter Science Park is the South West’s centre of activity for businesses in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). 

It is the result of a vision to develop a regional science park that stimulates a knowledge-based economy, delivering better jobs, higher productivity and economic growth. 

Their mission is to help innovative STEMM businesses to deliver extraordinary growth in a like-minded community. 

Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

To calculate carbon footprint for Exeter Science Park and calculate emissions from commuting habits. Also, to provide recommendations on how to lower emissions and which aspects of business protocol were most carbon intensive and create presentation and report of findings. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

Creating a carbon footprint report for the whole company! The work increased my confidence, gave me insight into corporate life, and provided me with experience that has enhanced my CV massively. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

Being a remote worker, it was difficult to always stay in contact with the company. We scheduled weekly phone calls to overcome this. Also, being from a non-accounting background, I also struggled with some of the technical expense data. A combination of extra research and maintaining contact with the finance team helped me with this. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Researching  
  • Organisation 
  • Problem Solving 
  • Communication 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Motivation  
  • Independence 

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

My internship experience was a highly-rewarding, independent and a challenging learning curve. I have learnt things about myself and the corporate environment that will be hugely beneficial to life after university. Undertaking the internship alongside my masters was challenging at times but has taught me how to balance high workloads and hugely enhanced my CV for postgraduate work. 

Student Case Study: Education Incubator

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Name of Student: Holly Frostwick 

Degree Subject: FCH Mathematics and Philosophy 

Job Title: ChatGPT Intern 

Company Name: Education Incubator 

Description of Organisation:  

The Education Incubator aims to be innovative in all aspects of its work, providing a space for staff and students to build communities around new projects that deliver lasting change at the University of Exeter. 

The ChatGTP project will assess the potential benefits and challenges of the proliferation of AI text generators for higher education. It will draw on the experiences of staff, students and the broader University of Exeter community to determine the nature of any new problems confronting the university and innovative strategies to make the most of the potential these new tools offer while minimising the threats. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

Key responsibilities for me included managing social media (Instagram) for the project, writing blog posts, helping set up workshops, as well as reviewing recordings of workshop. Also, I will be part of the report writing.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was creating and managing the project’s social media. This allowed me to develop my graphic design skills; being part of the project’s workshops made me more confident in my abilities, as well as helping widen my perspective on this area; I will be part of writing the resultant report for this project which I anticipate will also improve my confidence in my written communication as I develop my abilities for technical writing. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Degree Specific – report writing, copy writing 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Work Ethic 

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

This was a great experience to work in an area I’m really passionate in. The workshops which the project ran provided a great opportunity to speak to loads of people about their opinions, and as a result deepened my understanding and opinions. 

Student Case Study: JM Enviro Limited 

Name of Student: Lauren Burke 

Degree Subject: Geography 

Job Title: Flood Risk Consultant Intern

Company Name: JM Enviro Limited 

Description of Organisation:  

JM Enviro Limited was set in 2017 to provide coordinated environmental and engineering input to a wide range of infrastructure, buildings, and masterplan projects. 

Working collaboratively with clients, architects, planning consultants and other technical specialists, JM Enviro Limited delivers technical reports to inform feasibility studies, planning applications and input to design to ensure that the environment is protected and enhanced as part of the development process. 

Their main area of expertise is flood risk and drainage strategy input to buildings and masterplans, but we collaborate, and coordinate input as required on other environmental aspects such as ecology, contamination assessment, noise assessment, and air quality assessment as well as civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering. 

Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities included managing deadlines and ensuring reports were sent out on time. They also involved gathering information from multiple sources to put together flood risk reports 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement on my internship was helping to produce draft flood risk reports as well as greater self confidence in my capabilities.  

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

My biggest challenge was balancing deadlines alongside uni. I overcame this by setting small achievable goals.  

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Perseverance 
  • Motivation 

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

“Overall, my internship has been invaluable, and I have learnt so much during the process. 
I have developed valuable skills that I hope to take into the workplace and beyond. “

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences 

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Name of Organisation: University of Exeter, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences 

Description of Organisation:  

This project focuses on the co-creation of virtual field trip environments within the Renewable Energy discipline, and aims to research the efficacy of these in facilitating participation in field trip activities for those unable to attend sites in person. 

Name of Employer: David Trudgeon 

Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“The focus was predominantly on marketing / advertising the project to undergraduate students to engage them with the co-creational aspects of the project. Rebecca successfully produced high quality materials for this purpose and provided additional avenues for communication to widen the student audience. 

Her biggest achievement was producing high quality advertising materials in a timely manner and managing time to work flexibly to meet both the needs of the project and undergraduate study. 

Rebecca was very professional and able to effectively carry out all tasks required. Support and guidance from the Internships Team were excellent throughout.” 

Student Case Study: The University of Exeter

Name of Student: Zoe King

Degree Subject: Psychology

Job Title: Student as Change Agent Intern 

Company Name: The University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

The Strategic Support Team at the university have 3 opportunities for Students as Change Agents (SACA) Interns.  This is the University’s pathway for empowering students to actively improve the university experience for themselves and their peers via leadership and participation in a series of impactful change projects. The internships provide term-time projects on themes that are at the heart of the student experience. These include promoting community and engagement, the university’s approach to student communication and improving academic support.  

This role was part of the Student Campus Partnership (SCP) scheme, based in a local team in Exeter. 

Type of Internship:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities were gathering information on and developing tips on how students can utilise feedback. Also, I had to attend weekly meetings with supervisors. I provided a resource on helping students utilise feedback for Study Zone Digital from a Student Perspective. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

I gathered information from students and developed tips on how to utilise feedback. Then I produced a 900-word blog and an infographic to advertise the blog on how to utilise feedback from a student’s perspective. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I made a poster with a link to a survey asking how students use feedback, but I was not allowed to put it up around campus as it did not follow the university branding guidelines, so I had to think of new ways to gather information. Instead, I sent out messages and ask people in person about feedback and managed to gather more than enough information. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration  
  • Problem Solving 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Motivation 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 

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

From the beginning I was given a clear outline and a briefing sheet from my friendly supervisors on what was expected of me. I was given the option of making a blog/video/infographic but the beginning I wanted to do a blog as I enjoy writing, so I made a timeline of what needed to be done to help me plan and began gathering information from students so I could write the blog. I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 weeks, especially doing the blog and designing the infographic as the feedback was really positive when my supervisors read it. I would definitely work for the university again as I felt supported and empowered to take initiative. 

Student Case Study: Quirk Theatre Company

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Name of Student: Katie Foster 

Degree Subject: Liberal Arts  

Job Title: Assistant Producer for Quirk Theatre Company 

Company Name: Quirk Theatre Company 

Description of Organisation:

Witty, playful, and often anarchic, Quirk pride themselves on devising original work with a social conscience, offering a meaningful alternative to pantomime. They have built up a loyal following of family audiences and school groups and are proud that close to four thousand people come to see our Christmas show every year.  

Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

I created and maintained the first mailing list for the company with over 40 recipients. I also assisted in evaluation, feedback, and production meetings throughout the lifetime of the show. I constructed two phases of press releases for over 65 different organisations. As well as this I designed and published actor callouts, tailoring them for our Global Majority and Graduate Actor pathways. I crafted the initial design of the show’s programme, which contained over 40 individuals and undertook an accessibility and inclusion audit of the company and located DEI training for all its members. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was gaining a lot of confidence. One of my first tasks was to send out a press release, something I had never done before, and I was initially terrified. However, by doing things like that, I now have the confidence to talk to many more companies and individuals than I did before; what’s the worst that can happen?

Also, creating a mailing list with over 40 recipients has been amazing. Being able to craft and maintain it by myself has meant that I have a real sense of ownership in the company and enjoy the whole process. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

My main challenge has been learning the rules of the professional workplace. I’m autistic, and this industry is very much based on personal interaction, something I struggle with, so learning what I can do and when has been difficult – though not impossible. A main example of this is when I was at networking events with the company, and I initially found it incredibly hard. However, the company has been extremely welcoming and kind and has really helped me in those situations – for example, during two of the networking events, I had a job that I could focus on doing. I’ll never be amazing at social interaction but having to do it as part of the job really has helped me learn strategies of dealing with it. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Problem solving  
  • Negotiation 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and workload management 
  • Researching 
  • Networking  

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Personal awareness 
  • Cultural awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 

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

My experience with Quirk Theatre has been incredible. I never thought that I’d be able to do half the things I’ve done so far. It’s opened my eyes to the possibility of working in the theatre industry after University, something I had previously thought impossible. Being able to work remotely, and in a freelance style, has helped me develop the skills necessary to maintain work/life balance and given me an outlet that isn’t University work. It has been difficult at times, but the support of the company has been the main reason I’ve been able to do as much as I have done. 

Employer Case Study: Devon County Council

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Name of Organisation: Devon County Council 

Description of Organisation:  

Devon County Council is one of the largest employers in the County. The County Council recently declared a climate emergency and post COVID-19 there is an urgent need to support the economic recovery. The Government continues to invest in infrastructure to stimulate activity on both these fronts with announcements for more investment in walking and cycling and in public transport. They are looking for enthusiastic people to step up to this challenge and develop, influence and shape the way people travel around Devon. 

Name of Employer: Hannah Clark 

Job Title: Transport Planning Team Leader 

Internship Scheme used:  

The Graduate Business Partnership Scheme (GBP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter 

Feedback: 

“Lauren has contributed towards researching economic benefits of active travel and provided support on public consultation activities. Lauren has also developed initial ideas towards the development of a Local Transport Plan. Lauren was an exemplar intern, and we are delighted to welcome Lauren as a full-time member of our team.

 

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter Digital Humanities

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Name of Organisation: University of Exeter Digital Humanities 

Description of Organisation:  

The Digital Humanities Lab offers unique spaces, equipment and training for staff and students. They support innovative Digital Humanities research, offer training and teaching, and undertake digital preservation and display of historic material and artefacts using advanced technologies. They work with a range of university teams including Technical Services, Library, IT, and academic staff. 

Name of Employer: Gemma Poulton 

Job Title: Technical Manager 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

Our intern Isabel worked on a range of projects including digitisation, photography and 3D images. Her greatest achievement was her growth in confidence to work with academics on a range of projects. Isabel is a committed and enthusiastic intern and always worked with enthusiasm on the work she was tasked with.  

 

Employer Case Study: The University of Exeter

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Name of Organisation: University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

At the University of Exeter they want to make the exceptional happen and have a real and lasting  impact on the world around them. They are already firmly at the forefront of universities worldwide and  their ambition is to increase that position, particularly as a Global 100 institution. They challenge them  talented students to achieve more than they ever thought possible and recruit the very best people  from around the world to reach greater heights in research excellence, innovation, and impact. 

Name of Employer: Louise Vennells 

Job Title: Senior Press and Media Manager 

Internship Scheme used:  

The Graduate Business Partnership Scheme (GBP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter 

Feedback: 

“Molly was a highly valued member of the team who calmly orchestrated a number of challenging projects. She was extremely efficient, and routinely delivered beyond expectation, particularly for an intern.” 

“There was no room for improvement – Molly was fantastic.”