Category Archives: Access to Internships (A2I)

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter

Name of Employer: Dr Jennifer Lay

Job Title:  Lecturer

Internship Scheme used: Graduate Business Partnership (GBP) , Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“The student contributed to two research projects. For the first project she assisted with designing a participatory study involving street-attached individuals. She researched potential university and community collaborators and prepared materials for ethical approval (including consent forms and study protocol). Hence, our internwas instrumental in getting this study off the ground and in preparing the necessary documentation. For the second project, she conducted a thorough literature search on the use of spoken language biomarkers for dementia detection. She examined hundreds of articles and compiled summary information on those of interest to our review article on the topic. The GBP suggested useful ways of improving the literature search process and her analysis of the literature provided novel insights that have been useful in this paper project.

Our intern was consistently thoughtful and proactive in her work, and she challenged me to improve the way I conduct research. For example, she identified potential ethical challenges involved in working with street-attached research participants, as well as solutions to these challenges, which I am implementing. She also taught me about software tools and other resources that are instrumental to the experience-sampling work that we do. The student was well-organised and able to analyse complex information in a timely manner. Her capabilities as a research intern far exceed those of most other students at her level. If I had the requisite funding, I would have gladly kept her on as a research team member.”

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: The Flow Partnership

Name of Organisation: The Flow Partnership

Name of Employer: Minni Jain

Job Title: Director

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern helped with creatin of various fund raising material for the organisation including setting up an Instagram page. He created clear well thought out Fund Raising communication.

The scheme was very good. Bright student who worked diligently with our organisational requirement for clear communication.”

Employer Case Study: Mousetrap Theatre Projects

Name of Organisation: Mousetrap Theatre Projects

Name of Employer: Elaine Grant

Job Title: Head of Access Programmes

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern used her English and writing skills to write a students guide to the programme and she also contributed to the programme’s evaluation documentShe took on every admin task with energy and positivity. Her ability to communicate effectively with all the stakeholders was very impressive.

The student was invaluable to the programme and a great team member. She worked effectively in and out of the office. She was given a 360 degree experience of managing a major Arts programme involving 30 theatre prductions, 300 families across Greater London, over 100 partner organisations, numerous theatre marketers and box office teams.

She is now our new development and fundraising officer! Could not recommend the scheme enough. Thank you!”

Employer Case Study: Borneo Nature Foundation

 

Name of Organisation: Borneo Nature Foundation

Description of Organisation: They are a not-for-profit wildlife and biodiversity conservation and research organization that protects and safeguards tropical rainforests and the environment in Borneo.

Name of Employer: Helen Morrogh-Bernard

Job Title: Director

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern was able to work in the office as part of the team, and completed all tasks asked of her. Getting to know what we do as a research organisation was important for the student, as she could see how we work, and what is involved when working for a conservation research NGO. She was involved in processing field notes, doing a literature reviews to help with papers, and designing a database.

I had a very positive experience having an intern. We were very happy with the scheme and the intern. “

Employer Case Study: Ayres Punchard Investment Management Limited

Name of Organisation: Ayres Punchard Investment Management Limited

Description of Organisation: Ayres Punchard is an award-winning sustainable investment company. Their investment strategies are designed in-line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, without compromising on financial returns.

Name of Employer: Chris Welsford

Job Title: Managing Director

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern began contributing positively to the research project very early in his time with us. He was able to understand the process and philosophy employed in our analysis of UN Global Compact principles transgression which enabled him to make a full and meaningful contribution to our work. This led to positive outputs and outcomes in the form of our intern contributing to an article that was published on our website and reported on by an international financial media organisation, as well as identifying and researching an investee company that can now be the subject of an engagement with a leading fund manager.

Our intern’s work on investee company Bright Horizons was exemplary and we are looking forward to working with the student, outside the internship, when he will be able to follow up on his research by engaging with the fund manager on the issues that he has uncovered.

This was an extremely positive experience for our company and for the colleague who worked closely with him.”

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter, Department of Classics

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter, Department of Classics

Name of Employer: Claire Holleran

Job Title: Senior Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern was employed as an Research Assistant on an ongoing digital project on Latin inscriptions recording migration in Roman Iberia, and worked on finding further references and images of inscriptions. This was very important for future proofing the project.

The student did a fantastic job as an intern on the project. She followed the instructions carefully and worked efficiently and independently throughout her internship

Employing our intern through the internship scheme was an excellent experience and I would thoroughly recommend it (and her). Her work was important for the project overall and saved me a considerable amount of research time.”

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter

Name of Employer: Siobhan Mitchell

Job Title: Research Fellow

Internship Scheme used:  Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern provided excellent project assistance while working with me. She has worked independently to analyse data and compile a report as part of the GuiDANCE project, making a substantial contribution to the project. As well as this she has developed skills in both quantitative and qualitative analysis and has also been successful in applying for further funding to continue to develop her research skills.

The student has demonstrated perseverance, initiative, and dedication throughout the studentship. She has actively contributed ideas and insights when discussing the research project and has worked hard to develop new skills. Having our intern as part of the team has been a fantastic experience. She has contributed excellent work and has played a role in the overall success of the project.”

Employer Case Study: Viva!

Name of Organisation: Viva!

Name of Employer: Laura Hellwig

Job Title: Managing Director

Internship Scheme used: Access to Internships (A2I) 

Feedback:

“Our intern was very enthusiastic and able to help with the following projects:
– helping with specific tasks in relation to event promotion and organisation
– researching and updating webpages of vegan food substitutes and listing new vegan businesses on ‘my vegan town’
– writing a guidance blog and 2 sample letters for student campaigners to use
– helping with promoting Viva! along staff at the biggest vegan festival in the UK

Building relationships and gaining professional work experience for a cause she is passionate about was a highlight for the intern, it was a pleasure to work with her- she was very polite, enthusiastic and proactive.”

Student Case Study: University of Exeter

Name of Student: Laura Dougherty

Degree Subject: MSci Biochemistry

Type of Internship: Access to Internships (A2I)

Company Name: University of Exeter

Job Title: Research Assistant

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

I planned and ran many immunoassay tests, predominantly ELISAs. I also produced and purified samples from several pathogenic fungi, which will be used for further testing.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I produced high quality data which will be used to help make tests for the diagnosis of several deadly fungal infections. I feel a great sense of achievement to have contributed to such a worthwhile project.

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?

The results of one of my larger tests was unexpected. I successfully investigated the cause and had identified that one of the elements used was degrading over time. This is important for the group I was working with to be aware of as they will adjust their experiments going forward.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Networking
  • Report writing

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Logical thinking

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

“My internship experience was really worthwhile. I worked with a group who were developing better tests for several deadly fungal infections. I have gained a lot of experience and confidence, particularly in planning and running experiments independently. I also developed my analytical and problem-solving skills. I produced high quality results and gained useful team-working experience. I received professional support throughout my internship and really enjoyed my time working as part of this group and feel like I have a better grasp of how I wish to progress my career.”