150 graduates will get the opportunity to work in knowledge intensive companies across London and the south east following the announcement today that a joint bid by UCL and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has been awarded £240,000 of Government funding as part of a national scheme designed at helping young people into work.

UCL will administer some 115 internships in the digital industries, advanced manufacturing, engineering and financial services, while the RVC will deliver around 35 life science internship placements. In line with all of the HEFCE-supported work experience schemes, places on the UCL-RVC will be available to graduates of all universities, with priority being given to those that graduated last year and have yet to find stable employment and for those graduating in 2010.

The paid internship placements will help recent graduates to develop vital employability skills, through both work based learning and skills training sessions, and allow both small and large companies to preserve novel research, development and commercial projects during the economic downturn.

The award will help both institutions to build on their existing programmes. UCL already planned to offer 50 work experience places this summer following from their successful scheme, first run last year. The grant similarly allows RVC and The London BioScience Innovation Centre to continue to grow its reputation as an employer by helping life science graduates make the transition from higher education to the commercial bioscience sector through work experience placements and skills development. 

Jim Gazzard, Enterprise and Technology Executive at the RVC said: "Recent graduates have much to offer knowledge intensive companies. In our experience these companies are looking to recruit talented graduates but are restricted in their ability to do so in the current economic climate. Graduate internship schemes help to solve this problem, allowing companies to continue to explore exciting commercial projects and graduates to gain a foothold in the job market while developing essential employability skills."

To date the RVC has received over 1,000 applications for 60 internship placements on its ORBIS internship scheme. This shows the significant demand from graduates seeking careers in leading bioscience and bio-veterinary companies.

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