Funding for SMEs via Santander Internship Programme

MESSAGE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY DEPARTMENT

We appreciate that these are challenging times, especially for small businesses and we want to reassure you that the University of Liverpool is still able to provide support to you during this difficult time through the funding available as part of our Santander SME Internship Programme.

If your business has experienced significant disruption as a result of the current crisis, with changes to your everyday business operations that mean you need an injection of new skills to support you, a recent graduate for a short period of time could be just what you need.  Similarly, we know that certain sectors have seen an increase in demand for their services as a result of the current crisis and businesses within these growth sectors could significantly benefit from an extra pair of hands over the coming weeks and months to keep up the pace.

Perhaps your business is now operating completely remotely, and that’s fine too.  We can support you in developing a virtual internship opportunity which are proving hugely popular for businesses as a result of changes to normal working practices. Whatever your situation, if you think you could benefit from recruiting one of our talented students or graduates at this time, please get in touch.

We currently have funding available for SMEs who are in a position to offer 4 to 8 week internships to our final year students who are about to graduate this summer. 

The projects must be paid at the rate of £9 per hour, however through this programme, Santander will contribute 50% of the total cost of the student or graduate’s salary as detailed here;

 More About the Programme  

Attracting and retaining the very best talent is important for many ambitious SMEs and the Careers & Employability team at University of Liverpool has a strong record in supporting local businesses, helping them recruit our talented students and graduates.

 Santander Universities has been integral to this success through the SME Internship Programme providing funding towards student and graduate salaries and through this partnership, many SMEs have seen:  increased business productivity and profits;

·       new products and services being developed;

·       increased commercial competitiveness;

·       improvement in their market profile;

·       expansion into new markets.

Many SMEs use this programme as an opportunity to bring some new skills and innovative thinking into their business without any long-term commitment.  However, we find that many of the internships get extended, or are actually converted into permanent posts.

How to benefit 

If you would like to learn more about the Santander SME Internship Programme and how your business could benefit, please get in touch.  Our team can provide advice and expertise on preparing role descriptions, all aspects of the recruitment process and the best way to support interns.  We can also provide support with initial sifting of applications if required.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Careers & Employability
University of Liverpool
Alsop Building
Brownlow Hill
Liverpool
L3 5TX

Tel: 0151 795 1052

www.liverpool.ac.uk/careers