Line Manager: Ewa Murphy (PS Connect Project Manager)
Pathways Programme: Pathways to Professional Services in Higher Education (2024 cohort)
Organisation Summary: A new shared service, PS Connect, was launched in May 2023 and is aligned to the University’s 2030 Strategy ‘To use the power of our education and research to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future’. We are a new integrated service bringing together teams from across HR, Finance, IT and Strategic Procurement as well as a newly formed Service Experience team. We will ensure we make the best use of resources, systems, skills and expertise.
How did hosting an intern via the Professional Pathways programme benefit you and your department?
Our student completed a series of data analyses in areas where we previously had no or limited insight. This has proven highly successful as it allowed us to identify some much sought-after trends and schedule follow-up actions accordingly.
How was your experience of hosting a Pathways intern?
The internship programme was based on a hybrid approach, with three days in the office and two days working from home (WFH). This approach worked really well as it introduced the student to the type of work in a real working environment while allowing for the building of in-person relationships with the team, as well as obtaining familiarity with working via Teams.
A good plan put in place and shared with the student at the beginning of the programme ensured clarity and understanding of working arrangements in this hybrid mode. What also helped was the first two days spent in the office; therefore, when subsequently switching to working online, we had a good level of familiarity, trust, and understanding of the working processes.
Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, how would you recommend ensuring both you and your intern(s) gain as much as possible from the experience?
There were several components to the success of our programme:
Clear Action and Objective Plan: We created a detailed action plan with specific objectives to guide the intern’s work and ensure alignment with our goals.
In-Person Induction: We started with an in-person induction into the job role, expected tasks, and activities. Setting clear objectives from the outset proved highly successful in providing direction and clarity.
Daily Check-ins: Regular daily check-ins on progress helped to maintain momentum and provided opportunities for feedback and support.
In-Person Start: Beginning the programme on-site for the first two days allowed us to build familiarity and confidence before transitioning to working from home. This hybrid approach facilitated effective communication and relationship building.
By implementing these strategies, we ensured that both the intern and our team maximised the benefits of the internship experience.
Why would you recommend hosting an intern via Professional Pathways?
I believe that the Internship programme benefited both sides mutually:
For the student, it provided an introduction to a real working environment, an opportunity to apply their theoretical skills in practice, and experience in new areas such as project management. This exposure allowed them to develop further interest and see opportunities for further study.
For our team, we benefited from the intern’s valuable data analysis insights, which had been previously lacking. This fresh perspective and the resulting data analyses helped us identify important trends and informed our future actions.