Where Interns Meet Industry

Dunedin (Friday, 20 September 2013) – Dunedin’s successful summer intern programme is underway again, with a speed dating-style event for students and businesses next week.

Sexy Summer Jobs, which started in 2008 and was initiated by the business community, gives students valuable work experience with a wide variety of Dunedin businesses.

Dunedin City Council Business Development Advisor Chanel O’Brien says, “The aim is to retain talent and skills in the city and increase the flow of top quality students into local businesses to help with staff shortages.”

The intern programme also fits with one of the themes of Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy – the city being a hub for skills and talent. The programme is supported by the Otago Polytechnic, the University of Otago, the DCC and Dunedin company Firebrand.

A speed dating-style event is being held at the Polytechnic on Tuesday 24 September to give businesses a chance to meet potential interns face to face. Eighteen companies from sectors as diverse as IT, creative, education/research and niche manufacturing will attend and discuss the internship opportunities they have advertised on the updated Sexy Summer Jobs website.

The Polytechnic’s Head of the College of Enterprise and Development, Lesley Smith, says, “The internship programme is an ongoing success story for our students. The speed dating event provides an amazing opportunity to have up to 10 interviews in one evening with employers from Dunedin’s fast growing IT sector.

“The best prepared students come away with summer jobs and it is great to see some of those jobs developing into permanent work in the industry.”

University Career Development Centre Graduate Employer Liaison Officer Robyn Bridges says, “These paid internships are fabulous ‘win-win’ opportunities for both students and employers. Students get relevant work experience, a real heads up in terms of them finding work, and employers get to meet fresh, enthusiastic and passionate potential employees.”

Ms O’Brien says the programme is funded through business contributions towards student remuneration and Council support. A third of the interns who take part in the programme are offered a job after their internship. This equates to more than 80 students since the programme began.

For more information on the intern programme and the speed dating event, visit www.sexysummerjobs.com.

ENDS

© Scoop Media