To further their commitment to developing future-ready graduates, the Careers, Employability and Skills team at Queen’s University Belfast are partnering with Northern Ireland SMEs, charities, public and third sector organisations to offer students access to valuable and impactful summer internship opportunities.

Launching the internship programme for 2023, Karl Webb, Employer Engagement Office with Careers, Employability and Skills at Queen’s said: “Internships offer students, including those in groups who tend it find it more difficult to get a foot in the door, with a valuable opportunity to gain experience and sharpen some key employability skills. Employers get to access a digital native who can bring fresh thinking, creativity and innovation into their organisation and potentially uncover a talent who will become one of the team in the longer term.”

The Employer Engagement Team at Queen’s are currently seeking employers to work in partnership to deliver the below internship programmes between May and July 2023:

Real-World Projects Funded by Santander Universities

Queen’s are looking for Northern Ireland SMEs, charities, public and third sector organisations to facilitate a Real-World Project allowing eligible Queen's University students to gain valuable work experience while delivering a valuable project-based contribution to your organisation over four weeks. The student receives a £1,000 bursary upon completion directly from Queen's University and there is no cost to the organisation.

“These projects are geared towards students in courses where there is a lower level of representation in the graduate labour market,” says Karl. “The specific nature of the project is up to the employer organisation,” he adds. “It can often include research, operational support or injecting some fresh thinking into your existing workflows. The Project should require approximately 100 hours of work, typically during May and June when students have completed the academic year.”

Match-Funded Summer Internships

Queen’s are also offering NI based SME’S, Charities, Public and Third Sector organisations match-funded access to summer interns for eight-weeks in May, June or July. Queen’s will reimburse the employer 50% of the salary paid, up to maximum of £1,250

“Attracting and retaining the very best talent is important for any ambitious company,” says Karl. Adding “Queen’s summer interns can provide organisations with a fantastic resource during the summer, while employer hosts can boost the future employability skills of participating students.”

Students in any undergraduate or postgraduate course as well as recent graduates (graduates within last 2 years and have not yet secured a permanent position) are eligible to apply for advertised internships.

About Employer Engagement at Queen’s

The Employer Engagement Team at Queen's is committed to connecting employers with student and graduate talent through careers fairs, campus events, and insight and work experience opportunities. Their bespoke service offers solutions for all your recruitment needs, whether you have a graduate role, internship or placement to fill. In order to promote your vacancies and opportunities, raise student awareness of your organisation and even shape the skills development of talented students, it is recommended that you set up a profile on MyFuture, the University’s career management portal accessible to 24,000+ students and graduates.

To find out more about current internship opportunities at Queen’s visit go.qub.ac.uk/internships