It may be a month overdue but we thought it would be good to let you all know about the Santander Internship Programme which helped Janet to bring Esther onto the SoPro Team. Here’s the story:
Social Progress Ltd was originally set up and run by the very committed and hard-working Janet Bebb supported by a range of associates to work with clients. At the end of 2014 she decided to take a leap of faith and expand. Being an SME business the risk was high and the financial risk even higher! Janet heard about the Santander Internship Programme and was able to apply for financial support through that.
There are two sides to the Santander Internship Programme: First, Second and Penultimate Year students are eligible for the Summer Student Scheme. Graduates of the Past 2 Years are eligible for the Winter Graduate Scheme. Esther graduated from the University of Huddersfield in July 2013 so she was eligible for the Winter Programme at the time.
“The Santander Internship Programme was brilliant for introducing Esther to Social Progress Ltd. The funding took some of the financial pressure off the business and it was great to be able to feel supported through [what we used as] the probation period. If businesses need another pair of hands and can commit to paying someone at least minimum wage, the funding is there for you to take. When you’re an SME, taking on another member of staff is a big risk. That bit of funding makes a world of difference. I’m so glad we did it.” – Janet Bebb, Social Progress Ltd
With the help of Suzanne Maynard at the University of Huddersfield Janet was able to connect with Esther and claim the £1500-worth of funding. The Internship doubled-up as a paid Probation Period (3 months from January 2015) and also had the happy ending of Janet offering Esther a 12 month contract and her becoming a member of the SoPro Team!
“Internships and work experience are valuable to learning and getting used to the real world! I’m so glad I did a sandwich year at Uni and this Santander Internship Programme is another example of how effective Internships can be. I learned so much during those 3 months and have built a great relationship with Janet. I’m so grateful that she’s put so much effort into me and I felt very supported. Janet has encouraged (and gently pushed) me to do things I didn’t think I could do (like blogging and networking) but that’s why she’s such an amazing coach and boss. She really made me feel like part of the team and now I am actually a part of Social Progress Team. I love it! I hope that there are many more businesses out there who are willing to put as much time and effort into other students as Janet did for me – even if it is just for 3 months. The Internship Programme is a great idea!” – Esther Orridge, Social Progress Ltd
Over the past 3 (now 4) months, Janet has trained Esther up on Social Media from a business perspective (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Pinterest and Instagram). They both work with a variety of businesses and individual clients to help their businesses grow. Janet is the chief trainer and business coach. Esther is the social media account manager and the Social Progress blogger.
So if you think that the Santander Internship Programme is something you could be interested in, do get in touch with Suzanne Maynard at the University of Huddersfield to find out more. Here’s her email address: s.d.maynard@hud.ac.uk (do let her know you read this).
Links:
www.hud.ac.uk/careers/employmentopportunities/internships
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