Category Archives: Information Technology

Heritage Innovation Website Content Developer – University of Exeter Culture Team

Education, Teaching and Research, History, Information Technology, Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage (PACH)

“I built some strong connections whilst also deepening my love of the heritage sector through my writing”

Name: Frank Allen

Degree Programme: BA History

Year of Study (at time of completing internship): 2nd Year

Pathway Programme Completed: Pathways to Arts, Culture, and Heritage

Internship Role/Job Title: Heritage Innovation Website Content Developer

Internship Employer: University of Exeter Culture Team

Please outline the project you worked on during your Pathways internship. What achievements are you particularly proud of? How will your work be helping others?

At the tender age of eight, I fondly remembered visiting Lichfield Cathedral. I was awe-struck by it. The Cathedral’s imposing spires, majestic arches, and grand scale captured my imagination. Therefore, when I saw the opportunity to work for the University of Exeter’s heritage team as a website content developer, I immediately applied.

I was asked to produce articles and blog pieces for the University’s Heritage website with my colleague, Kate, whilst also suggesting upgrades for the website and tweets to write. With only a brief knowledge of Devon and Cornwall’s heritage, and of the work that the University was doing to study it, I was excited to begin the role and learn more. The research assistants, Gilda and Eloise, guided me towards some captivating projects. Their research ranged counties and specialities, considering both natural and man-made heritage and its effects on communities, policies, and even animals! My task was to synthesise these insights into four enthralling pieces of writing for a wider audience, which would then have to be publicised. I started with the news articles. Consisting of only a few hundred words, I scoured my research reports for recent events that took my interest. Using a few examples on the Heritage website as my guide, I was excited to discuss Professor DeSilvey’s project, which would investigate strategies into heritage loss and conservation. I was also eager to talk about Dr Naomi Sykes’ new research into why we love to feed animals, using heritage sites as a testing ground. This followed nicely from Dr Brazier and Puttock’s research into Eurasian beavers on Holnicote estate.

Moving onto the blog articles, two themes across the heritage sector caught my attention: climate change and the debate around the loss of heritage. Touching upon artistic projects and a bid involving University of Exeter professors, I highlighted how important the consideration of Climate Change was in heritage conservation in the future. However, does this heritage even need to be conserved in the first place? In her book ‘Curated Decay’, Professor DeSilvey suggests that we should allow nature to take its course. This discussion around heritage conservation informed my second blog post. A common thread through these themes, though, was an ethical discussion of what heritage meant to a community. This captivated me the most, reminding me of how I became interested in my own heritage, to begin with.

How did you overcome a particular challenge during your internship, for example, challenges linked to working remotely?

I found the work with the Culture Team’s heritage sector challenging, but at the same time incredibly thought-provoking and rewarding. Time management was key. Kate and I managed to produce a schedule for the week, dividing each day into achievable objectives. This skill was very useful in creating the Heritage website’s Twitter timeline as well. However, this would not have been possible without strong teamwork and communication. Meetings and emails with both my team and the professors I wrote about were integral to producing high-quality pieces of writing. In the end, I built some strong connections whilst also deepening my love of the heritage sector through my writing.

Why would you recommend a Professional Pathways internship to future students?

The role of website content developer equipped me with some invaluable skills whilst I pursued a field that I would love to work in again in the future. I could not recommend the role enough to anyone keen on finding out more about heritage and what it means for them and their community.

Employer Case Study:  Jurassic Fibre Ltd

Employer Feedback, Environmental Work, Green Consultants, Information Technology, Management and Consultancy, Sector, , , ,

Name of Organisation:  Jurassic Fibre Ltd

Description of Organisation: Jurassic was founded by CEO Michael Maltby, a resident of Sidmouth in East Devon. Michael has built fibre and similar networks around the world, including in Russia and the Caribbean, and his goal is to build the digital infrastructure you deserve to support your lifestyle in the 21st Century.

Jurassic Fibre is part of the Fern Trading Group, and has substantial funds available to deliver a top quality fibre broadband network for the South West. We are planning to invest over £250m into building a fibre network in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, passing over 300,000 homes, making gigabit speeds a reality.

With the valued support of our partners – who together form a world-class supply chain to deliver fibre to the region – we started to build in 2019, with continued growth always on the horizon.

Name of Employer:  Gillian Huppler

Job Title: SHEQ Manager

Internship Scheme used: Green Consultants 

Feedback:

“We recruited an intern to work as a Green Consultant. They provided us with a report identifying JFL strengths, weaknesses, opportunities to improve and potential threats associated with current compliance. He gave us an overview of what competitors are doing and gave us recommendations. He used our auditing tool (iAuditor) and build useful audit formats which will enable us to monitor compliance and track our performance.

I was hoping to get the student involved in review our waste management but the manager involved had been given an important task and was not forthcoming with the information. Our intern handled this well and we discussed other objectives, he got on very well with the change of plan.

I would have been more than happy to offer our intern a role if there was one available and I will be discussing this with CEO to see if there is any future opportunities.

The student provided us with some extremely useful information which will add value to our business. He was professional, pleasant, enthusiastic and would be a great asset to any company. He worked well in the office and on site talking to the civils teams undertaking excavations. Our intern provided us with a useful presentation to enable our company to understand our opportunities for improvement and developed useful tools for monitoring progress, which is amazing as we only had him for 35 hours. If this is the quality of Students Exeter can provide, we will definitely be looking to repeat this in the future.”

Employer Case Study: EFFECT Photonics Ltd (2)

Employer Feedback, Environmental Work, Green Consultants, Information Technology, Management and Consultancy, , , ,

Name of Organisation:  EFFECT Photonics Ltd

Description of Organisation: EFFECT Photonics have been shaping the future of photonics by interconnecting humanity through fast, affordable, sustainable, and effective communication technologies. The emergence of DWDM is one of the most innovative and important phenomena in the development of fibre optic communication technology. From both technical and economical perspectives, the ability to provide the world potentially unlimited data transmission capacity and bandwidth is a massive advantage of our DWDM technology.

Name of Employer:  Tim Durrant

Job Title: Engineering Manager

Internship Scheme used: Green Consultants

“The green consultant student was tasked with providing a top level briefing for a gap analysis of our high tech start up business for plans to achieve ISO14001 in 2021. With her we worked up a plan for surveying the business though all the main stake holders. This work was then followed through and an excellent Executive Summary report with appendices showing main points for 14001, with linkage to ISO9001 (which we are working on this year). A very useful foundation document setting the scene for the future. The intern fully fulfilled the brief and even exceeded it by linking across to ISO9001.

The student worked flexibly and coped well with working around her exams and the additional challenges of Covid19. We had no issues and highly recommend the Green Consultants Scheme.”

Employer Case Study: Appen 

Employer Feedback, Environmental Work, Green Consultants, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, Management and Consultancy, , , ,

Name of Organisation:  Appen

Description of Organisation: Appen collects and labels images, text, speech, audio, video, and other data used to build and continuously improve the world’s most innovative artificial intelligence systems. Our expertise includes having a global crowd of over 1 million skilled contractors who speak over 235 languages, in over 70,000 locations and 170 countries, and the industry’s most advanced AI-assisted data annotation platform. Our reliable training data gives leaders in technology, automotive, financial services, retail, healthcare, and governments the confidence to deploy world-class AI products. Founded in 1996, Appen has customers and offices globally.

Name of Employer: Morag Van Niekerk

Job Title: Business Operations Manager

Internship Scheme used: Green Consultants

Feedback:

“We recruited an intern to work as a Green Consultant as we were developing our Sustainability policy over the next year and the internship would provide great support with this piece of work.

The student looked into how we can catalyse good practice across our sites. She also calculated our GHG emissions and created a waste management plan and environmental policy. This was completed to a very high standard.

The whole experience has been a very positive experience for the company. Our intern’s knowledge and skills exceeded our expectations and she contributed considerably to our new ESG, Sustainability and Impact initiative. With her input we have completed our Scope 1 and 2 GHG inventory calculations. I would highly recommend the Green Consultants Scheme, we found it very valuable.”

Student Case Study – OverAir 

Access to Internships (A2I), Degree subject, English, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, Sector, , , , ,

Name of Student:  Brittany Willis

Degree Subject: BA English

Type of Internship: Access to Internships (A2I)

Company Name: OverAir

Job Title: Marketing Co-ordinator

Description Of Company: OverAir works exclusively with Apple products, we are also certified Mac Technicians, meaning we use Apple diagnostics and Apple parts where needed. We specialise in helping businesses, schools, and individuals with all things technical, including; troubleshooting, repairs, upgrades and general advice. With Apple certified experience across the entire product range, you’re in the safest of hands.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

I was first in charge of building their social media presence, mainly on Facebook and Instagram, as well as designing and organising the company van to get wrapped. Recently, I have helped to organise and promote their first giveaway and going forward, I am designing and organising new signage for their new offices, as well as maintaining their social media presence.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I produced a social media campaign that focused on their giveaway. This gave me further insight into using social media for a business. I also designed their van wrapping, being introduced to new design platforms.  

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

I organised the giveaway of a new iPad. This involved promoting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, working with a budget in order to maximise social media campaigns as well as organising, copy-writing and sending out their first email to their customer list of over 900 people. This resulted in over 400 entries to the giveaway and over 5 thousand engagements on Facebook.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

My first initial task was to design and organise the van sticker and wrapping. This involved visiting a business partner of his in Torquay, who is a designer. While we ended up with a great design, I found it challenging working with the company who were to translate our design onto the van. Eventually, I researched other companies and I am currently working with a different person to translate my design onto the van. I have already received more and better communication with this company.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

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

“My internship gave me insight into a small, independent business. The manager worked closely with me, giving me insight and opportunities to learn about his business, social media marketing and I even visited a designer in Torquay to learn about new design tools. The internship was very relaxed and flexible and I am happy to say it has been extended for another term.”

Student Case Study:  Switch Systems 

Access to Internships (A2I), Computer Science, Degree subject, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, , , ,

Name of Student:  Josh Oxenham 

Degree Subject:  BSc Computer Science 

Job Title:  Software Developer  

Company Name: Switch Systems 

Type of Internship:  Access to Internships (A2I)

Description of Company: We are a small but perfectly formed IT company based in the heart of Exeter. We’ve been building websystems (not websites) for over 14 years. We’ve worked with a huge variety of organisations including local businesses, Schools, Universities and the NHS. 

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?   

 My key duties and responsibilities during my internship were to develop software and design back-end and front-end systems for clients, including IoT, serverless programming and database design. 

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?   

 The outputs and outcomes I delivered for my employer were the development and testing of new and pre-existing software for clients, which resulted in software being delivered in time. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?   

Situation: Client had requested a feature in their software

Task: New feature had to be developed and deployed within the month

Action: I worked with a company director to design, develop and test this feature

Result: Feature got completed on time and deployed          

Skills Learnt:   

  • Problem solving  
  • Negotiation  
  • Persuasion  
  • Leadership  
  • Customer Service    

Attributes Developed:  

  • Confidence  
  • Initiative  
  • Perseverance  
  • Motivation    

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

This internship allowed me to further explore this side of the industry after my degree, giving me the experience within the industry to make more informed choices on a career path. It will also give me further opportunities which I may not have been given without practical career experience. I really recommend to any student to do an internship, I really enjoyed it.  

Student Case Study:  College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Access to Internships (A2I), Computer Science, Degree subject, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, Mathematics, Student Campus Partnership (SCP), , , , ,

Name of Student:  Keith Harrison

Degree Subject:   MSci Computer Science and Mathematics

Job Title: Research Assistant (A2I)

Company Name: College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Type of Internship: Student Campus Partnerships (SCPs) , Access to Internships (A2I)

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My role was to decrease the amount of time taken to run code given to me by the supervisor which had to do with modelling clouds (geophysical modelling). To do this I implemented OpenMP alongside different compiler flags in order to achieve time reduction. We would have near daily meetings to discuss progress and what methods we could implement next and also to discuss what issues I had as this internship was also to inform my supervisor on using this library and how to speed up code execution.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?  

At the end of the internship I had spreadsheets showing numerous tests of the effect of making different subroutines parallel in their code, a research log of learning how to use OpenMP and some challenges I came across, how I solved them and what I would do in the future with what I have learnt, Altered .f90 files for the subroutines made parallel which achieves this time reduction, Multiple performance analyses of the code showing how long the code takes divided into subroutines and a quick guide to using OpenMP to help my supervisor learn OpenMP and improve the ~30% reduction in time I achieved.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

At the end of the third week I had reached another dead-end as I could not make any meaningful reductions in execution time past my usage of performance analyses. To remedy this I decided to go back to the document describing OpenMP and came across another type of construct !$OMP PARALLEL DO which combines two separate constructs into one. This would grant a major time save and changing just a singular Do loop to a Parallel Do loop took my time reduction from 9.6% to 16.1% for the resolution I was working at. However, the use of Parallel Do also came with issues to do with memory location access to further research had to be done to decide which variables had specific properties to ensure that errors did not occur. And in the end it allowed me to achieve a time reduction when implemented into the other subroutines of up to its max of 36%.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

For the first week I had issues using Fortran alongside OpenMP. I found this was because this library is not well supported for windows so I switched to a virtual machine to run Linux as it was more up to date for that operating system. Also I was wanting to test my code on better machines but as campus was shut I was not able to access them, until i thought of using the VPN to access the machines from home to be able to test my code on. Towards the end of the second week I found that I was not getting any major reductions in time, and then after talking to my supervisor he informed me of performance analysis for Apple computers, from this I researched if any existed for Fortran specifically, luckily I found one and it allowed me to properly target the subroutines which would grant me the biggest reductions in time when made parallel. When making my code parallel I found that OpenMP did not like dealing with Global variables and after communicating with my supervisor I came up with the idea of using dummy variables.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Time and Work Load Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes

Attributes Developed:

  • Logical thinking
  • Creative thinking
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

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

“It was a great experience working with an academic in research as I could see the tangible evidence of what I was taught in lectures. Was also great to see how my knowledge in computer science could be used in other subjects. The remote working also helped tremendously with practicing good communication and work ethic as I was not working on campus or in an office but from my room.”

 

Student Case Study:  Digital Humanities Lab

Archaeology and Anthropology, Degree subject, Information Technology, , , ,

Name of Student:  Ollie Anthony

Degree Subject:  BA CH Archaeology and Anthropology

Job Title:  Advisory Intern

Company Name: Digital Humanities Lab, University of Exeter

Type of Internship:  Student Campus Partnerships (SCPs)

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?  

As an intern, I actively contributed to current College of Humanities research and teaching, by engaging in: digital photography, 3D printing, 2D and 3D imaging of artefacts and visual/audio media production. I also supported staff, partners and students of the University of Exeter to engage with the Lab’s facilities and equipment from the advisory desk. 

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?  

I successfully contributed to the running and delivery of three conferences, multiple seminars, two open days, numerous group tours and a digital exhibition. In large, this was hugely beneficial for the lab in contributing to their outreach to other parts of the University, including, though not limited to, prospective students, academics and alumni.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I led a collaborative project between the Digital Humanities Lab and The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. The project included digitisation of a panorama dating to 1845, forming part of the museum’s collections. The end goal was to create an online, interactive version of the panorama to increase interest in the collections within the museum. To undertake this task I utilised the Digital Humanities Lab spaces to take high quality photographs of the panorama, following this I created a .html webpage to display the digitised images. The result of this is that viewers on The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum website are now able to successfully interact with part of the panorama collection, increasing accessibility and interest in their broader collections.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

Being the customer-facing team member of a highly technical field, I was often faced with difficult or highly specific questions related to parts of the lab spaces. I committed a lot of time into learning as much as I could about Digital Humanities, but the key is to acknowledge when you don’t know something and to ask those who do know for next time.

Skills Learnt:  

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Time and Work Load Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes

Attributes Developed: 

  • Logical thinking
  • Creative thinking
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

 

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

“I would highly recommend anyone to uptake an internship with the university or another organisation. The experience I gained was amazing and it has really helped me going forward in my career.”

Student Case Study – Roly’s Fudge

Access to Internships (A2I), Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Hospitality and Event Management, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , , , , ,

Name of Student:  Annabel Ilic

Degree Subject: BSC Management with Marketing

Job Title:  Communications Assistant Intern

Company Name:  Roly’s Fudge

Type of Internship:   Access to Internships (A2I), Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)

Description of Company: Originating from Devon in the West Country over 30 years ago, we now have independently-run family fudge pantries across the UK. Each shop uses traditional recipes to make fresh fudge every day, handmade in full view for you to see.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

During my internship I created blog posts and social media posts. I also produced newsletters and general marketing (with a focus on re-branding and the environment and sustainability).

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

The key outputs and outcomes I delivered for my employer was producing blog posts and social media posts to gain more exposure. I created two newsletters which were a huge success. The first being opened by 1352 people and the second by 1445 people.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I was asked to help with the re-branding of the business, focusing on the ‘faces of Roly’s Fudge’ (the families who own different franchises). I had to create profiles for each owner, using Canva and help to create the webpage for it on WordPress. Whilst this is still a work-in-progress, my manager is very happy with what I have done and it has been a very intrinsically motivating task as well. It has provided me an outlet to show what I have learnt during my internship and hope in the future it will help change people’s perceptions of the business.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

Nothing notable. Sometimes time-management was difficult and I found myself running out of tasks, but by communicating my thoughts and giving feedback to my manager, everything was resolved.

  Skills Learnt 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Leadership
  • Time and Work Load Management
  • Organisation

  Attributes Developed 

  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Motivation

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

“I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from my internship, but I have absolutely loved it. This experience has provided me with many useful skills that I will no doubt use in the future. After opting out of my industrial placement, it has given me a real boost of confidence and reassured me that I have the ability to be effective in the workplace. Better still, I was given the flexibility of working from home so it complimented my university studies well. I would recommend this scheme to anyone who is looking for meaningful experience and an insight into what ‘real life’ work is all about.”

Employer Quote:

“I was really pleased with the service from the internships team, who guided us through every step, advertising for the role and even helping with funding.  We took on two interns who were keen to learn and were so pleased with them that we offered them further work with us.” – Dannee McGuire (Director)

Student Case Study:  Asbri Planning  

Access to Internships (A2I), Engineering, Geography, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Engineering and Processing, Real Estate and Property, , , ,

Name of Student:  Alec Stevens 

Degree Subject: BA/BSC Geography – Cornwall 

Job Title:  Graduate Planner

Company Name: Asbri Planning

Type of Internship:  Access to Internships (A2I)

Description of Company: Asbri Planning is a planning and development consultancy, which has offices based in Cardiff and Swansea. We work in the development industry with the main aim to see our clients obtain planning consent for development. At Asbri Planning, we pride ourselves on offering honest and forthright planning advice and we only promote projects that we are confident will result in a successful planning outcome. Central to our approach are the client’s business needs and commercial objectives.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Research of planning policy and procedure of relevant planning acts and regulations in relation to potential developments; completing initial planning applications for potential developments; aid in the completion of site appraisals and design and access statements and to observe and make relevant minutes for offsite meetings.           

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I delivered several design and access statements where I documented information for the client and relevant governing bodies such as Powys County Council. I was also involved with pre-applications and appraisals where the viability of proposed developments were investigated.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Completing a full design and access statement individually.

  • Situation – Client (Powys County Council) needs a design and access statement which includes all relevant information and debate over a proposed development in LLanidloes.
  • Task – Complete the full DAS for the client in time bound conditions.
  • Actions – Acquiring the relevant data and information from a variety of sources and then compiling an attractive document that is also effective for all parties involved.
  • Results – The DAS was officially confirmed and sent to the client and the governing body and will be accepted subject to pre-commencement conditions.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

In hindsight I felt as though I was reluctant to ask questions during office hours due to the intensity of the office environment. All of my colleagues were busy at almost all times and I felt questions would have hindered or slowed their progress on other jobs. In the future I will most definitely address this by not being afraid to interrupt others if its for the overall benefit of the company I am working for.

Skills Learnt 

  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Time and Work Load Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Ability to work under pressure

Attributes Developed 

  • Researching
  • Networking
  • Independence
  • Confidence
  • Professionalism

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

“My internship was career specific and enjoyable and thus given me that extra boost of motivation going into my third year to continue on my current path to achieve what I want out of my career. I would thoroughly recommend any student going into a career specific internship as it gives you experience that just is not acquirable in the University Library.”