Remote and virtual internships - RIS

If you are an employer who would like to work with a student remotely through the Reading Internship Scheme, but this is new to you and you have some questions, please read this information.

During the COVID-19 pandemic we adapted the 2019/20 Reading Internship Scheme programme to run remote internships, so that we could best support our community of students and employers.

Our preference for the 2020/21 programme is for internships to be completed remotely, however we do understand some internships may need to take place in the office, or through a mixture of both (providing the workplace is COVID secure). Working remotely has meant we have been able to support a wider range of employers and that you have access to a wider talent pool.

Projects suitable for remote working

Internships which do not need to be completed face to face, or are not reliant on location, are suitable for remote working. For example, if your intern would need access to certain software or equipment (which is only available in the office) to complete the internship, this would not be suitable to run as a remote internship.

We supported just shy of 100 internships in our 19/20 programme, with the majority of these being remote internships. Here is just a snapshot of the remote internships we supported:

Online Teaching Internship
Education Programme Assistant
Fundraising and Development Internship
Business Support Internship
Software Developer

How to keep connected with your intern

Remote workspace

Checking your intern has an appropriate space to work during their internship can be included within your induction process. This can include:

Home risk assessments to check your intern has an appropriate set up to work from home
Desk ergonomics check in to ensure they have a comfortable work set up

Remote selection process

Testimonials

“My employer has been absolutely wonderful. Having initially begun the internship whilst still at University, it was definitely nice to have been able to have met them in person, however I was surprised at how efficiently I was able to conduct my internship remotely, with the support being excellent. I would recommend the remote internship to students who have the ability to be accountable to themselves and those who can keep a cool head. Showing yourself that you have the discipline to work can be very rewarding! The most notable advancement must be my independence. From doing my internship in my own space, you have to persevere and be patient with yourself, as you take a little longer to work at each task; as opposed to walking a few metres in an office to ask a colleague. This is extremely rewarding, and for that alone I am a huge advocate of the remote internship scheme”.

-Data Conversion Consultant for Tax Automation Ltd.

“I was hugely excited when Holly approached us this year to state that the scheme was specifically looking for remote working opportunities, due to the Covid-19 restrictions. We completed all of the paperwork and were delighted to be awarded a fully funded 6-week intern. You really can’t begin to understand just how beneficial this is to us, because it effectively increases our manpower resource by 20% at a time when cashflow is tighter than before (we did lose a few clients during the lockdown period). The whole process, from the initial discussion with Holly, through the application, recruitment and on-boarding was seamless with great communication throughout.”.

-Founder of Continuity Partner Ltd.

Remote & virtual internships