Internships provide platform to showcase digital skills
A team of ten graduate interns at Teesside University have been working at the forefront of digital technology and virtual reality – introducing their skills and knowledge to internal projects and external organisations.
The interns, who all graduated from the University’s School of Computing, have carried out work for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a collaborative obesity project with Public Health England, and are using virtual reality technology to develop digital healthcare and education products.
They have been employed as part of the University’s Graduate Internship Scheme, co-ordinated through the Department of Academic Enterprise, which sees graduates placed in a wide range of roles to give them real world experience and support with getting their first foot on the career ladder.
The ten School of Computing interns all completed courses in Games and Animation and Digital Media and Web. They have spent three months working in a bespoke digital studio on various projects and a number of interns have been kept on for additional work due to the success of the scheme.
As well as internal projects, such as social media campaigns and 3D modelling, the group has also secured work with external organisations, giving them experience of working to briefs and meeting clients’ needs.
A project with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw the interns produce an online tool kit and animation to help teach clinicians about prehabilitation – a risk assessment and training strategy which aims to prevent injuries before they actually occur.
They have also collaborated with the University’s School of Health & Social Care and School of Design Culture & the Arts to produce an obesity animation for Public Health England.
Siobhan Fenton, Associate Dean (Enterprise & Business Engagement) in Teesside University’s School of Computing, said: 'This has been an extremely successful scheme and a number of the interns are being kept on to complete projects.
The Graduate Internship Scheme supports the University’s employability agenda and we are committed to providing all of our students and graduates with the best possible opportunities to excel in their chosen professions.
'They have all been supported by individual members of academic staff and have had the opportunity to work in an extremely creative environment.
'The Graduate Internship Scheme supports the University’s employability agenda and we are committed to providing all of our students and graduates with the best possible opportunities to excel in their chosen professions.'
Rose Gibbin, who graduated with a first class BA (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects, was full of praise for the Graduate Internship Scheme.
She said: 'It has been really useful working in a digital studio environment. I really do feel like we are at the forefront of virtual reality here – using our knowledge and expertise to work with companies and organisations that are only just starting to think about how they can use virtual reality.'
Kayleigh Stevens graduated with a first class BA (Hons) Computer Games Animation.
She added: 'The internship has been absolutely fantastic – being able to work directly with clients and feeling as though you are really making a difference. It is such a positive initiative and has given me so much confidence to pursue my career.'
• The ten School of Computing graduate interns are: Kayleigh Stevens, Rose Gibbin, Zoe Llewellyn, Jacob Grindrod, Stewart Pirie, Daniel Mason, Nicole Haigh, Gemma Stephenson, Saifur Siddique and Joe Tyas.
