How did hosting an intern via the Professional Pathways programme benefit you and your organisation?
We were lucky enough to host two interns from the University of Exeter. They worked on developing new strategies and marketing materials for the expansion and development of our FutureFIT programme, which is an integrated careers resource delivered directly into the classroom. Within the project, there were two strands of development. One focused more on the creation of visual marketing materials (including social media post templates and posters), information materials that can be used to promote the programme to new clients, and developing the programme website to create a more engaging, informative, and interactive platform. The other strand was more focused on market research and involved identifying new potential clients and collecting information that will feed into developing individual promotional strategies, as well as identifying potential business partners for the programme. We have already started work on integrating these new resources developed by our interns into the programme. The new portal on our website is live for our clients and we are using the information collected to inform our marketing strategy moving forward. Without the help from our interns, we would not have been able to progress as quickly as we are now. The work that our interns undertook has provided us with a great foundation for developing materials to reach new clients, which will in turn help to grow the programme meaning that we can offer higher quality resources for students. This will be directly benefitting schools and students in disadvantaged areas across the Midlands and North of England.
Why would you recommend Professional Pathways to other employers?
I have now been lucky enough to participate in the Professional Pathways programme both as a student intern and as part of the host employer team. During my final year at the university, I participated in the Pathways to Marketing programme, completing a remote internship with Applied Inspiration. Following this internship and after I had graduated, I continued my work on the internship project as a casual staff member before being offered my current position within the company, as Executive Assistant. I now help to coordinate various projects and programmes, as well as managing administrative tasks. I have the unique privilege of being able to personally recognise the benefits of the Professional Pathways programme for both students and employers. Professional Pathways is a fantastic way of connecting employers and students. For students, this means having access to great networking opportunities, alongside sector training, and for employers, it is a great opportunity to raise their profile as future graduate employers. In cases like my own, it also provides a chance to get to know potential new hires within a working environment. This means that there is a mutual understanding over company values, working styles and smoothly facilitates integration into the wider working team. This is without mentioning the valuable input that student interns bring to the table during these placements. Bringing in an outsider’s perspective on internal projects is something that can make the difference between a successful or failed outcome. For these reasons, I can’t recommend Professional Pathways enough to other employers. It’s a fantastic initiative run by the university that helps both students and employers.