Want to Take on a Graduate Intern?

Many small businesses have benefitted from employing graduates on work placements.  With grant support immediately available for small businesses offering Graduate Internship places, your business can benefit too. 

Here you will find information on the Graduate Internship scheme that the FSB is currently promoting.

Graduate Internships - Salary Subsidy

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is funding universities to subsidise the cost of employing a graduate.  The Graduate Internship Scheme will be offered by all ten universities in the East Midlands. 

Graduates will be employed on a 13-week work placement.  Typically, the graduate will work on a unique or innovative project within the business, undertake important or essential research for the business, or work within a specific department within the business that is related to their degree.  Small businesses benefit from the knowledge and skills that a graduate has to offer.  The graduate benefits by getting real-life work experience and a potential career path. 

The universities in the East Midlands will pay the graduate between £1,440 and £1,600 for the 13 weeks.  All that the business needs to do is to top-up the graduate's salary to at least the national minimum wage (around £100 per week for the 13 weeks).

In addition to subsidising the graduate's salary, the universities will each:

• Match your business with a suitable graduate
• Support you in managing the internship, and making it a success for your business and the graduate
• Support the graduate in the internship

To register for the scheme, phone the National Helpline on 0845 072 7597.  They will then direct you to a named contact in a university that is based in your area or which deals with your industrial sector.

FSB members should register for the scheme before September 2010