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Grow your business with a graduate

Are you a small or medium sized business?

Based in Tyne & Wear or Northumberland?

Northumbria University has launched a new project supporting SMEs to recruit a graduate intern. This project follows on from the success of the previous ERDF funded Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support scheme which helped stimulate enterprise growth and graduate jobs in the North East. Over 150 businesses benefited from the scheme with 81% of SMEs reporting that they retained the graduate within their business after completion of the internship.

Ian Thurlbeck, Director from @retail who benefited from funding previously recommends involvement following his positive experience:

“The Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support programme enabled us to recruit Peter on an internship with @retail. We could see that Peter was making a significant contribution to the Team and we made him a permanent member of staff at the end of his internship”

Through funding worth up to £1.9 million to support SME and graduate start-ups, the Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support 2 (NEBS2) scheme includes a financial contribution to help small businesses employ graduates typically on 6-month internships programmes.

This funding support will run until June 2023 and is available to small and medium sized employers, including those in the third sector in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Overall, this latest project is expected to provide support to 120 businesses through internship funding activity.

The aim is to enhance the competitiveness and growth of SMEs. Businesses who are looking at ways to respond more effectively to the challenges of COVID-19, and recruit highly talented and motivated graduate interns, are encouraged to apply.

The interns will be paid by the SME for up to 6 months in a graduate position to meet the business needs of the organisation with the project providing a maximum financial contribution to salary of £4,050 for a 6-month internship (45%) with pro-rata funding available for shorter internship durations.

NEBS2 is an excellent opportunity for SMEs to identify a longer-term or permanent member of staff and the graduate talent that can add real and direct value to the business.

To find out more about this exciting opportunity please contact sv.employers@northumbria.ac.uk and register your interest today.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Northumbria University .