Internships

Graduate and undergraduate schemes

In January 2010 we provided funding of £12.8 million to 57 universities and colleges to support graduate internships - 7,900 internships were completed by the end of the scheme in March 2011. We devised the initiative to assist unemployed graduates, and provide support to employers in small businesses and priority economic sectors.

In summer 2010 we provided £1 million to 30 universities and colleges. These funds supported undergraduate internships for disadvantaged students to work in professional organisations, and to widen access to the professions. Of the available internships, 850 were completed.

Report on the schemes

We recently published a research report which examined the early impact and outcomes of both schemes. It also looked at how to boost the number of high-quality work placements available to students and graduates.

The main findings of the report show that HEFCE funding for internships has:

• boosted graduate employment and employability
• increased the number of businesses working with higher education
• increased the number of people participating in internships.

• More about the report

Economic Challenge Investment Fund

The Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF) also provided support for internships.

We set up this fund to help the HE sector address rapidly some of the economic challenges during the recession in 2009.

We allocated over £28 million to support 78 proposals that attracted an extra £32 million from universities and local partners.

• Examples of funded regional activity

Page last updated 1 November 2011