Graduate interns benefit Guttridge
13 May 2011
Spalding, UK – Three graduate interns have provided Spalding-based Guttridge Ltd with extra resources to analyse, review and improve its on-going processes. They have also contributed to a new R&D project, making presentations to potential customers and partners of the bulk powder-handling machinery maker.
The trio, Anushka Devaser, Edozie Nnoruka and Alex Jen Ken, were all from the Leicester University Graduate Internship Program. They started at the Lincolnshire company in November 2010, having recently graduated in subjects directly relevant to the roles they carried out at Guttridge
The roles had been defined and sent to the University and advertised, with shortlisted CVs and letters of application sent to Guttridge for review. A number of graduates were then selected for interview by Guttridge and the successful applicants joined the company a few weeks later.
The university dealt with the administration, including payroll with no tax or national insurance costs as the internship is a training program. The graduates were responsible for their own accommodation and expenses although Guttridge did assist with locating suitable accommodation and voluntarily paid 50% of the graduates’ accommodation costs.
Short-term contracts enabled Guttridge to hire graduates to complete specific projects with no commitment to providing long-term employment. However, the company has now placed Devaser within the sales department as sales engineer and Nnoruka’s contract was extended.
‘The Graduate internship has given me a giant leap into the industry, exposed me to real industrial research and has also made me more marketable in the ever-competitive labour market,” said Nnoruka.
“During my internship, I had to report my findings to the management of the company on a weekly basis and this has really enhanced my presentation skill and boosted my confidence in public speaking. In a nut shell, it was a wonderful opportunity to further develop and prove myself.’”
Guttridge’s efforts to make the graduates feel welcome, including subsidising rent costs, made a real difference and ensured that on commencing the internship they were able to focus on the project in hand,” noted Edward Moseley, enterprise learning co-ordinator for student development at Leicester University.
At the company, the graduates gained commercial awareness, confidence and industry knowledge to significantly enhance their employability and career prospects, Moseley continued.
“Guttridge provided a fantastic learning environment and as such had three very motivated and successful graduates who were able to offer Guttridge new ideas, perspectives and invaluable high quality resource with minimal risk and investment,” he commented.
Guttridge is now advertising within the Leicester University Internship Program for a further internship role to commence employment in June 2011.
