New Opportunities For Graduates

31st July 2012

Graduates in Scotland will be offered more chances to take on internships at Scottish firms following the investment of around £200,000 by the Scottish Government.

The funding will support Adopt-an-Intern, a programme with a proven track record of helping graduates into permanent jobs, and will go towards another 110 placements in 2012/13.

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance made the announcement as part of a visit to the Working on Wheels charity in Edinburgh, where permanent employee Megan Johnson started in the organisation through Adopt-an-Intern.

Ms Constance said:"Scotland is in the strongest position in the UK with the highest rate of graduate employment at 90.3 per cent. However, one young person out of work is one too many, and we are prioritising our money and investment in young people to help them get into work and to stay in work.

"Schemes like internships can be the very break that young people need to take their first step onto the career ladder. Interns can develop and learn new skills while gaining vital experience of the modern workplace.

"Adopt-an-Intern has already seen 193 graduates take up internships with 66 per cent achieving a permanent job. This is an investment in another 110 young people and 110 employers. The talent and potential of graduates will be used to help grow businesses which is good news for the young people, the employers and of course the Scottish economy."

Megan Johnson, of Work on Wheels added:"Whilst continuing to apply for posts that, whilst at university, I had envisaged myself holding, the overarching theme from feedback was a lack of experience. Six months into this predicament I came across Adopt-an-Intern.

"The internship I secured was the job I had most wanted in my final months of job hunting as I knew it would be the perfect first step in a direction I was passionate about pursuing."

For more about the Adopt and Intern graduate scheme go to -
http://www.adoptanintern.org.uk/adopt-an-intern.html