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Graduate Internship Scheme

The annual Graduate Internship Scheme offers businesses from any sector in the UK, the opportunity to take on NTU talent for a fully funded internship.

Participating businesses will play a fundamental part in providing valuable experience to graduates from the class of 2023. In doing so, you will access new perspectives and transferrable skills to help your business grow.

Internships can be hosted in-house or remotely, depending on the needs of your business, and the team will be on-hand throughout the process to support your experience by:

  • managing applications, shortlisting, interviewing and assessing all graduates,
  • matching graduates to roles using a NEW bespoke system that feeds in the information provided in your vacancy submission form,
  • directly paying salaries to the graduates, so your business does not need to worry about the implications of the internship remuneration.

Short and long term benefits

The Graduate Internship Scheme is a cost-effective solution for short-term additional resource; however it also offers a foundation to build a sustainable talent pipeline. Many previous participants have used the scheme to explore how a graduate role can be embedded into their business, before extending the internship into a permanent role with the help of the NTU Employability team.

Funding options for Internship extensions

There are a number of financial support options available to eligible businesses interested in the long-term benefits of implementing graduate talent into your organisation.

Option 1

The NTU Amplify Innovation Grant offers financial support to businesses seeking to innovate and grow. Up to £600 is available to eligible businesses to part-fund the retention of your graduate intern who is undertaking an innovative project or role.

Option 2

If your Graduate Internship Scheme role qualifies under one of the following criteria, you may be eligible to access a further £2500 Talent and Innovation Grant to extend the internship. The role would need to:

  • implement or improve technology or processes,
  • enable the business to enter new markets,
  • improve or implement new products or services, or
  • focus on research and development projects.

This grant would support your graduates salary for a minimum of 8-weeks, full time.

The Enterprising Ashfield project is designed to support and nurture local businesses within the Ashfield Region. £2500 is available as a Talent Grant to eligible employers seeking to extend their Graduate Internship Scheme experience.

You will have the opportunity to indicate on your vacancy submission form if you are interested in any of the above. Alternatively, speak to the team to learn more.

Success stories

Bringing ideas to life

After running a successful business for over a decade, Karen Gee decided it was time to start something new. Initially, the idea of Rugby Hackers seemed unattainable - a lack of time or resources available for a dedicated project. That's where the NTU Graduate Internship Scheme stepped in, and seven passionate graduates teamed up with Karen to make her idea a reality.

"Stories make the world a better place"

In 2022, nine graduates supported Rehannah Mian at Magical Storybook to produce illustrations for her suite of downloadable read-along books. During this time, Rehannah's platform reached over two million subscribers. "I really appreciate having NTU's graduates working with me. They move my business on a lot, and it's fabulous to get such talent and positive energy in my office space."

"It's a win-win"

Internal NTU departments also use the Graduate Internship Scheme to explore how graduate roles can support their team's growth. This is especially important in areas that are evolving and can leverage the innovative ideas and new perspectives of early career's talent. For Helen Puntha, Head of NTU Green Academy, the mutual benefits of the experience were clear: "The scheme is excellent. I feel it's a win-win: the graduate gained experience, we gained valuable skills and a fresh perspective and could get some work completed which we could not have otherwise resourced."

A pipeline for graduate employment

David Radley found that the new ideas and practical Quantity Surveyor skills that his interns brought to the company were a key benefit of taking part in the Graduate Internship Scheme. So much so, one of the graduates has continued in employment at Structural Investment Services beyond the internship period.

Contact the team

Final preparations are underway for the 2024 edition of the Graduate Internship Scheme. If you would like to register your interest in taking part, or alternative ways to connect with NTU student and graduate talent, please get in touch with the team via grad.internship@ntu.ac.uk.