UEL awarded for internship scheme

The University of East London was awarded with the NEON Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Progression) Award for its Funded Internship Scheme at a ceremony in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons.

The NEON Awards (National Education Opportunities Network), highlight outstanding work that is carried out by those working in widening access and participation in higher education. 

The University’s Funded Internship Scheme targets underrepresented groups who traditionally have lower graduate outcomes and aims to bridge the gap to provide an equal opportunity for all to succeed in their chosen career.

Raksha Mehta, Head of Partnerships and Work Based Learning for the University of East London said that the NEON award was a great honour.

Providing paid, flexible internships can be a stepping-stone for students towards achieving a graduate-level job and realising their career ambitions. Each year we strengthen the scheme to provide transformative internship opportunities for our wonderful students," she said.

The scheme demonstrated the impact of the programme against four key criteria, including:

• Engagement - 98% of students in the last cohort completed their internship
• Confidence - 97% of students had the confidence to apply for jobs after university, and 94% have boosted their confidence to apply for opportunities
• Retention - retention rates rising on the internships from 94% in 2017/18 to 97% in 2019/20
• Graduate Outcomes - 77.4% of 19/20 graduates who completed an internship secured graduate-level employment vs. 66.5% of non-participants.

The scheme has been running since 2015 and has supported almost 700 interns with flexible paid internships. Our 2019/20 graduates who took part in the scheme show a 16% point improvement in graduate outcomes when compared to their peers.

The scheme provides an opportunity for students to gain work experience. The programme includes wrap-around employability support, which includes careers coaching, mentoring, workshops and monthly check-ins. 

The selection and recruitment process mirrors the job application process, providing students with hands-on experience in applications, interviews, and in-work etiquette. Students get a taste of the world of work. The experience gained through this scheme helps interns demonstrate their skills in future applications and interviews.

Kahdija, a second-year psychology student said she loved the flexibility that the internship provides her to work around family commitments and her studies while Abudu, a third-year economics student said, "Through the internship programme I have improved my PowerPoint and research skills while doing something related to my hobby and being in a top-class working atmosphere."

Simon Burgess, Senior Solution Developer with Siemens which recruited six interns, said, "The students we recruited through UEL’s internship scheme really impressed us. They were intelligent, enthusiastic, and highly professional in their approach. They delivered high quality work for us and we have strongly encouraged a number of them to apply for a full time role with Siemens. We were so impressed with the internship scheme that we have already agreed to take on another cohort next year."