NEBS Internships for recent Northumbria Graduates

If you are looking to gain some paid work experience our Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support (NEBS2) internships could be for you. These internships are open to Northumbria students graduating in 2022, or who have graduated within the last three years.

Northumbria Enterprise & Business Support (NEBS2) Internships Programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund. The University works with small to medium-sized businesses in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to provide student and graduate internships of up to 6 months. The internships provide an excellent opportunity to experience working in a regional small or medium sized enterprise (SME), develop your skills, enhance your employability, earn a salary, and potentially secure a longer-term or permanent role.

You will be employed by the SME and your employment contract will be with them. You will be paid a minimum of £18,000 per annum, pro-rata for the period of the internship. If a permanent role is created at the end of the internship this will be for negotiation between yourself and your employer.

What are the benefits of a NEBS internship?

From our previous NEBS internships (2013-2021) we found the following:

• 66% of interns were recruited into full-time employment positions with their business at the end of the internship! One year this was as high as 81%!
• 75 of the businesses we have worked with have stated their turnover increased as a result of the work of their interns.

Why work for a small to medium business?

Most small to medium businesses have few staff, meaning you'll get to experience a lot of variety in your role. When you are starting your career, this can be a great way to accelerate your learning and your confidence. You'll often be working very closely with staff at all levels - including directors and managers, meaning you’ll get access to their unique experiences, insights and support. This can be an excellent way to create personalised, genuine networks that can help you in both the short and long-term in your career.

SMEs are often flexible in how they work. With fewer staff and a more focused workforce, things can be changed quickly. This means that new ideas and innovation can easily occur in a 'start-up' type environment. This allows you to bring or develop innovative ways of thinking and feel more valued as an employee.

You may also find that you are able to move through the ranks more quickly as there is less competition from staff and having the ability to showcase your work more. Therefore, your earning potential may increase more rapidly than if you were working for a large organisation.

Find the NEBS internship job vacancies on JobsOnline – just type NEBS in the search bar to access them (you will need to register to access JobsOnline if you no longer have a Northumbria e-mail account).