B-Experienced Internships Programme

• Are you keen to offer experience and development opportunities to benefit our students/graduates?

• Can you offer projects, activities and work-shadowing to gain an insight into your working environment?

• Would you like to seek fresh ideas and different perspectives?

• Need assistance and insights to enable growth?

The University of Birmingham is working with host organisations to provide work based learning opportunities exclusively to UoB students and recent graduates from a variety of disciplines and across all degree levels. Importantly, candidates must only have limited work experience to participate in the scheme.  The programme supports students and graduates by reducing barriers to entry and supporting the development of skills required to build and maintain fulfilling careers.

The benefits

• You will get bespoke support from a member of the Internships Team to build your role and receive advice and guidance throughout the recruitment process.

• The team will arrange targeted promotion of your role to ensure that we connect you with the most suitable candidates.

• You will get access to a diverse pool of candidates from  a wide range of disciplines, including our postgraduate community and recent graduates.

• You will have the opportunity to work with emerging talent from the University of Birmingham and help to support our students’ career development through practical work experience and mentorship.

• If funding an intern is a barrier to you, students receive a bursary to financially support their experience and day to day living costs, to undertake a total of 70 hours (10 days) or 140 hours (20 days).

When can an internship take place?

This is a fully flexible programme with the option for internships to take place throughout the year, and these can be undertaken full-time or part-time, to suit you and the successful candidate.  We encourage all types of internships in terms of including in-person, hybrid or fully remote, and we’ll work with you to find the perfect duration to suit your business needs.

The team will endeavour to help you fill in any urgent recruitment gaps if necessary, however please be advised the recruitment process may take on average 7-8 weeks to complete following our initial meeting with you. We advise that you provide as much information as you can in your expression of interest to help us identify how we might be able to accommodate your needs.

Funding

Should you lack the funds to be able to pay your interns, the students and graduates can undertake the role as volunteering and will receive a bursary on behalf of the University. Please note that if you are not a charity, voluntary organisation, associated fund-raising body or statutory body, the experience offered should not equate to that of a worker or employee, as the student/graduate would be entitled to remuneration (at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW)). 

Your responsibilities as a host organisation

• Applicants to your opportunity must be a student currently undertaking a University of Birmingham undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme or a recent University of Birmingham graduate.  

• You are expected to offer part-time or full-time internships on a flexible basis. The University recommends that students undertake up to 15 hours a week during term time, to fit around studies and other commitments. 

• Interns should undertake no more than 7 hours in a day for the purposes of this programme. A 10-day internship will last a total of 70 hours and a 20-day internship will be 140 hours respectively.  

• When utilising the B-Experienced programme to tap into the University of Birmingham student community, you are expected to provide a positive learning environment from the application process to the end of the placement. To enhance students’/graduates’ personal and professional development, host organisations must offer constructive feedback and offer encouragement (written and verbal).  

• You must be able to provide supervision and guidance, providing named contacts, to maintain a positive learning experience for the intern, committed to deliver an induction; agreeing internship timescales and objectives/expectations with your intern. Exposure to a working environment, offering insights, work shadowing and professional networks will further enhance the experience.  

• Opportunities will only be accepted that do not unlawfully discriminate either directly or indirectly, on such grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sexual orientation or age, within the Equality Act 2010, and all directives relating to equality and discrimination.  

• A Volunteer Agreement will be provided to you outlining further detail. This requires your signature before the opportunity can commence.

Register your interest

You can register your interest by completing our B-Experienced interest form.

Contact the Internships team

To find out more about the programme and ask any questions you may have, please contact internships@contacts.bham.ac.uk.