The new Murray Edwards College (MEC) Internship Initiative was officially launched this week at an informative launch event hosted by the college on Wednesday.

The initiative is part of the MEC Gateway Programme, promoted ‘for women who expect to lead the way’, which is unique to Murray Edwards.

The new enterprise has been designed specifically for students of the college, with the pilot, which comprises of ten internships and work placements, running this summer.

The scheme hopes to enable undergraduates to gain first-hand experience of job sectors and develop levels of professionalism, whilst demonstrating their own skills set.

In the face of high levels of graduate unemployment, it also aims to expand students’ career networks, an asset which is expected to prove vital as they graduate and attempt to find their footing in the working world.

Attendee of the launch event, Clare Cotterill noted it ‘was well attended (perhaps because of the promise of cupcakes) [and] the internships on offer did not disappoint. I for one am already considering applying to two or three of the internships. The key companies, dates and stages were outlined, and plenty of advice was given about how to make the most out of any work experience. I am thoroughly excited to be a part of the pilot year of such a pioneering initiative.'

 

Helen Woodley, current JCR Secretary at Murray Edwards also feels ‘this scheme will give us brilliant benefits. To have college working so closely with a range of different employers means that we, as Murray Edwards (ME) students, have an advantage over students from other colleges and universities. The Gateway programme has meant I’ve got first hand advice about my CV, exams and interview preparation from ME graduates in many job sectors.’

It will function in tandem with the Careers Workshops in the Academic Development Programme, to help students prepare for their internship and also with the Gateway Challenges Funding in place to provide financial support in case of accommodation expenses, both of which operate, with others, under the umbrella of the Gateway Programme.

Speaking to Varsity, Senior Tutor of Murray Edwards, Dr David Jarvis, commented: ‘This is an exciting period for the College as we launch the pilot of our new internship scheme. We see the scheme as the natural extension of our innovative Gateway programme, which seeks to prepare our students for both tripos and life after Cambridge. In the first year of the internship initiative we are concentrating on up to ten internships, but the level of interest from students and partner organisations is such that we are seeking to build up the scheme in subsequent years.’

‘We will be offering students advice, preparation and assistance with funding to take up these opportunities, and employers are clearly very attracted by both this level of support for the interns and the extremely high quality of young women at Murray Edwards.’