Part-funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund through Durham County Council, the initiative offers Durham-based SMEs the opportunity to take on Durham students and graduates as interns, benefitting from their skills and knowledge to fill skills gaps, and ease workloads. The SME Internship Project has received £175,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The initiative provides 50:50 match funding for three-month internships, making it more affordable for businesses to engage high-calibre candidates. Building on the success of the award-winning Durham Internships and Collaborative Enterprise Project (DICE), this programme aims to drive innovation and business growth in County Durham.

An independent report on DICE highlighted significant positive impacts of having an intern with 75% of participating SMEs experiencing growth and 55% developing new products or services, proving the benefits to both business development and economic growth in the region.

The programme offers several benefits for participating SMEs, including access to advanced skills and knowledge, comprehensive recruitment support and the ability to trial potential longer-term hires with reduced financial risk, helping to develop their talent pipeline. 

This is also a positive opportunity for students, who can undertake Internships to contribute fresh ideas, support project completion and stimulate innovation, as well as developing valuable work experience and employability skills.

Find out more:

• Visit Durham University's SME Internship Programme for further information and an application pack
• Read about the success of the award-winning DICE Project
• See what other services Durham University Careers and Enterprise offer to Employers
• Learn about the Government Shared Prosperity Fund