Name of Organisation: School of Social Entrepreneurs Cornwall
Description of Organisation: School for Social Entrepreneurs Cornwall was established as a Community Interest Company (CIC) eleven years ago. Supporting people to develop their personal and professional skills simultaneously; we design and deliver programmes and courses that equip people to start, scale and strengthen organisations that make a positive difference; mobilising the experience of people from all backgrounds and support them to use entrepreneurial approaches to create lasting social and environmental change. Through this work our ambition is to create a fair and equal society where the potential of all people is fully realised.
Name of Employer: Sally Heard
Job Title: SSE Director
Internship Scheme used: A2I, SBP
Employer subsidies (A2I) – Employment Services – University of Exeter
Student Business Partnership (SBP) – Employment Services – University of Exeter
Feedback:
What role did your intern undertake?
Each year we hold a prestigious Graduation ceremony. We applied for a Marketing Intern over the summer. The primary aim of the role was to work alongside the SSE team to design a Graduation booklet showcasing each of our students graduating from our Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Trade Up programme.
The primary focus of the role was to work with the students to create a page each within the booklet to showcase their social enterprises. The outcome required of the internship was to create a digital version of the booklet incorporating social media links and profile pictures. We also required a version that could be used in printed format as required. Alongside this key task, our intern was welcomed (and rose brilliantly) to the challenge of being involved other activities including team meetings and occasionally joining programme delivery days.
Was your intern ready for the workplace?
Our intern was exceptional, she joined us pre to starting her internship so we could introduce her to our students that she would be working with. She then successfully built a good working relationship with each of the students who took part in the Lloyds’ programme.
She was extremely personable from the beginning, and was able to communicate effectively her role, what she needed to achieve and what the timescales were. She was really excited about the project and this came across in every aspect of her work. The intern’s communication skills and personal attributes were so valuable to us.
Communication was such an important aspect of the project, and one of the most difficult things about it. The intern created a good bond with the students and was successful as a result of this. She also had to build trust in a very short space of time with a well-established cohort of social enterprises and she was able to do this quickly and effectively. She had a lovely, sunny personality, which was backed up with great skill, making her really easy to work with.
Did the intern achieve their objectives?
The project was completed brilliantly. It was a time constrained piece of work and the intern was working in extraordinary times. She was unable to meet with any of the students in person. She worked with portrait pictures for each student case study and one of her tasks was to consider how these portraits could be displayed in a more innovative and creative way. She came up with the idea of using a selection of different pictures to create a new image which combined all the elements. This was achieved through the use of the CANVA design software, which was used to collate and produce the booklet.
Our interns gain an experience of working in a social enterprise and what this means, as well as what makes them who they are. And in return, they bring a high level of skill into the organisation.
Was the internship beneficial to your company?
Without access to this funded internship, we would probably have had to outsource this piece of work. Although we have the skills present within the team, we did not have the capacity to dedicate to this piece of work. As a result, this project has been of real value to the organisation.
The delivery of the student internship with the University of Exeter was an extremely positive experience. We felt that we were fully supported through the whole process by Jo (in the Career Zone) and her team. It was a very beneficial placement and the internship provided real pleasure to everyone involved, as well has having been of benefit as a skills exchange.
Quote from the Intern:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at SSE Cornwall and believe that it has made me a more well-rounded and adaptable employee. I have truly learnt the meaning of “making the best of a bad situation”, as I have seen first-hand how small business owners have had to adjust and triumph in the face of adversity (Covid19). Moreover, SSE themselves – and the fantastic team – had to move all their teaching and resources online and have remained just as successful and engaging as ever, even introducing a new Women’s Enterprise programme despite the pandemic.”