NORTH East firms are being encouraged to take advantage of a scheme which offers a low-cost solution to hiring new recruits.

A graduate internship programme run by Northumbria University allows SMEs to give Northumbria graduates who have been unemployed or under- employed since graduation last year a paid 10-week placement doing graduate-level work with a local employer.

This provides them with key skills and experience to boost their overall employability and can lead to a permanent role.

Graduate Tom Bailey secured an internship in a similar scheme two years ago with local property consultancy IAM SOLD. He was given varied, high-level experience on the placement, from valuations to sale negotiations.

He was offered a permanent position and is now an associate director at the firm.

He said: “The internship was a fantastic opportunity for me to showcase my skills and gave me a chance to apply the theory of what I’d learned at university.

Prior to joining IAM SOLD, I was working in a call centre, which wasn’t what I wanted to do. The graduate internship literally turned my career around.”

Jamie Cooke, director of IAM SOLD, who is also a Northumbria University graduate, said: “The graduate internship scheme has brought real benefits to our company.”

Anyone who wants further information on the scheme is asked to contact Julia Bennett or Hilary Dawson by phone on 0191 227 4689, or by sending an email to sv.employers@northumbria.ac.uk