Work Experience Opportunities
We are committed to developing work-ready graduates and are focussed on offering our students access to valuable and impactful work experience opportunities. We are currently seeking employers to partner with us to deliver the below internship and work shadowing programmes. Attracting and retaining the very best talent is important for any ambitious company.
Contact our team today
Real-World Projects Funded by Santander Universities
We are looking for Northern Ireland SME’s, charities, public and third sector organisations to facilitate a Real-World Project where eligible Queen's University students gain valuable work experience while delivering a valuable contribution to your organisation.
Real-World Projects help to provide students with the necessary skills and tools to become Future-Ready, and more prepared to make a positive economic and societal impact. We value the role that employers like you play in this and look forward to connecting.
What is a Real-World Project?
The specific nature of the project will be up to you, but 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 the student has completed the academic year.
Key Dates:
From 31 October 2022: Employers express interest
5 December – 17 February 2023: Projects advertised
8 February 2023: Internships Showcase at the Spring Careers Fair – Participating employers will be invited to meet and screen students in The Cube, One Elmwood during the Spring Careers Fair.
14 July 2023: Projects must be completed
Register your interest in offering a Real-World Project
How does it work?
- Complete the Real-World Project Real-World Challenge Expression of Interest Form
- Complete the Employer Details Form including a description of the Real-World Project.
- Your project will be promoted to students on the MyFuture Careers Portal.
- Select a student from applications and complete the health & safety and indemnity forms.
- Your intern will receive a bursary from Queen's University upon completion.
Questions about Real-World Projects funded by Santander Universities
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Is there any cost to the organisation?
The student receives a £1,000 bursary upon completion directly from Queen's University and there is no cost to the organisation.
- Are all Queen's University students eligible to apply?
No, the Real-World Projects are restricted to students from a wide range of courses but excludes some STEM, Business and Vocational courses and are generally geared to support students in courses where there is a lower level of representation in the graduate labour market.
A full range of eligible courses will be detailed in due course, and we will help align the right cohort of students to suit your project.
- Can we take on more than one student on board for a Project?
Yes, we can support multiple students within one organisation provided you can deliver the required level of support and a project that appeals to our students.
- What type of Project can a student take on?
We try to leave this up to you but as a guideline Projects are often research based or aligned to a particular project or event that you are currently planning or delivering.
Our students are creative, versatile and generally digital natives and we consistently get feedback that an Intern can bring valuable fresh thinking wherever they go.
- How much time do I have to commit to hosting a student in a Real-World Project?
To help the student enjoy the experience we expect some level of guidance and mentorship but generally our students are independent and can work with minimal supervision.
We recommend regular interaction and ideally some element of on-premises work rather than purely virtual so the that the student gets that real-world experience.
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Can we keep the intern on beyond the 100 hours?
Arrangements for further work beyond the scope of the Real-World Project can be made between the employee and the student directly and must follow relevant employment legislation.
Queen's University advocates that work experience should be paid, ideally at National Living Wage level.
Match-Funded Summer Internships
Funding type: Match Funded
Queen’s summer interns can provide organisations with a fantastic resource for NI based SME’S, Charities, Public and Third Sector organisations during the summer and also boost the future employability skills of our participating students.
Indicative Dates:
From 31 October 2022: Employers express interest
5 December – 24 March 2023: Projects advertised
8 February 2023: Internships Showcase at the Spring Careers Fair – Participating employers will be invited to meet and screen students at The Cube, One Elmwood during the Spring Careers Fair.
14 July 2023: Internships must be 50% completed to facilitate reimbursement.
How does it work?
- Complete the Summer Internships Expression of Interest Form
- Complete the Employer Details Form including a job description which you will receive upon your expression of interest.
- Await Queen's University approval for match-funding.
- Your internship will be promoted to students on the MyFuture Careers Portal (Employer must be registered on MyFuture).
- Select a student from applications and complete the health & safety and indemnity forms.
- You pay the student directly (minimum rate of £9.90 per hour).
- Queen's University reimburses employer 50% of salary paid up to a maximum payment of £1,250.
Questions about QUB Match-Funded Summer Internships
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Will the student be on our payroll?
Yes, the intern must be paid directly by the employer at a rate of £9.90 per hour. Payment terms, weekly or monthly for example, should be agreed directly between the student and the employer.
QUB will reimburse the employer up to a maximum of £1,250.
- Are all QUB students eligible to apply?
Yes, students in any undergraduate or post graduate courses as well as recent graduates (graduates within last 2 years and have not yet secured a permanent position) are eligible.
The employer can be more descriptive in terms of criteria depending on the nature of work and the desired student cohort.
- Can we take on more than one intern?
Yes, we can support multiple interns within one organisation provided you can deliver the required level of support.
Please note that students are only eligible to complete one QUB internship per calendar year (including Real World Projects and Match-Funded Summer Internships).
- Can we keep the intern on beyond the 8-week internship?
Arrangements can be made between the employee and the student directly and must follow relevant employment legislation.
QUB advocates that work experience should be paid, ideally at least at National Living Wage level.
Why host an internship?
By hosting an intern, you will benefit from:
- Enthusiasm and fresh perspectives
- Problem solving for specific projects
- An inexpensive resource
- Technology and social media savvy talent
- Opportunity to test out potential hires
- Current employee development through mentorship
Work Shadowing
What? Organisations may host up to 10 students for 1 day of work shadowing. Work shadowing differs from internships and placements as it’s informal and unpaid and lasts for only one day. The purpose is to get an insight rather than to gain hands-on practical experience.
Who? Open to all students but with a particular emphasis on student groups who are more likely to be under-represented in the graduate labour market.
When? Monday 03 – Thursday 06 April 2023
Why? This is an opportunity to increase your brand profile on campus and to expose students to your company values. It offers graduate recruiters an early insight into student motivations and priorities when it comes to career planning and what they are looking for in a graduate role.
Benefits to students: Bringing a job to life and helping them to decide if a particular career is right for them, work shadowing gives students the opportunity to observe professionals in the workplace.