Offering a work placement to a European Intern

YOUR COMPANY CAN:
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 - GAIN A SKILLED GRADUATE WORKER
 - CARRY OUT PROJECTS THAT NEED EXTRA HUMAN RESOURCE
 - CARRY OUT PROJECTS USING SPECIALIST EXPERTISE
 - EXCHANGE KNOWLEDGE WITH SOMEONE FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURE


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Would your organisation benefit from offering an internship to a European graduate?

Mutual benefits 
Throughout Europe, the labour market is very competitive. Europe's most motivated and brightest graduates are seeking work experience in the UK to improve their job prospects. They are ready to spend three months with your organisation, at no financial cost to you. We are always looking for new employers who are interested in working with us in the Midlands. 

The European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme provides vocational training opportunities between member countries across Europe. Gecko has already helped a wide range of employers.  From companies with very few staff to multinational concerns, the benefits are clear to see.  Our feedback is positive because we place the right people in the right companies.

We receive groups from our EU partners from Italy, Spain and Portugal. Each year, over 100 graduate interns come to work in the UK through Gecko Programmes. We also arrange for the same number of UK interns to work in Europe.

​Graduates who come to us for placements have a broad range of skills, but typical areas of expertise include marketing, website development (e.g. graphics and programming), finance, management, office administration, cultural animation and of course language skills (native tongue speakers and specialist linguists).
Work placements are about mutual benefit, and address the needs of both parties; the employer as host, and the intern. It is a bargain.

The Erasmus+ Programme provides the ideal conditions for a textbook win-win situation. 

The interns come with language skills and technical knowledge. We match your project and skills needs to their offer - their enthusiasm and ambitions.

​Graduates want to gain work experience and cultural experience in a country other than their own.  In return their host employer gains a valuable team member without incurring any expense.  It’s not just the skills that the graduates bring to the workplace that counts either.  One recurring theme that we hear is how having someone from a different culture and with different ideas can have a positive effect on work colleagues.
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Suffice to say that the main question we are asked at the end of an internship is ‘When can we have somebody else?’

​Cost to your Company
All direct costs are paid through the programme: flights, accommodation, insurance and money for living expenses. The scheme is funded by the EU's Erasmus+ Programme.

How to Apply

Participants are expected to work for a minimum of 25 hours per week for the duration of the placement, typically 11 weeks.
If you can give them this opportunity, simply contact us.  

Let us know the ideal candidate and skills you are looking for, however general or specific. We will then inform you when someone suitable is available and move forward to the next stage. We will carry out a needs assessment so that you and your intern will be suitably matched.  After that we will produce a concise plan outlining the requirements of both the host company and the intern so that all parties understand the programme of work for the duration of the placement.
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Confirm your interest using our CONTACT form and let us do the rest!

TESTIMONIALS FROM ORGANISATIONS THAT HOSTED AN EUROPEAN INTERN



​“I would like to formally express our satisfaction with our ongoing relationship with Gecko Programmes Ltd and their organisation of European projects that we have been involved with. 

We were first approached by Gecko Programmes in 2011, since then we have hosted 6 interns in different areas including administration, marketing and IT. The internships are normally for 3 months and have always been useful to us. In 2014, as part of our ongoing compliance with UK and European standards, we were able to secure the services of two highly qualified Spanish graduates with backgrounds in biochemistry and environmental conservation through Gecko. This was a resounding success and by the end of the internships we had a wealth of information and reports of significant value to us. One of the interns fitted in so well with our team and business that we decided to offer her a position within the company,which she was fortunately able to accept.

One year on, we are delighted with the contribution she has made to our business in particular, and the positive impact of being involved with Gecko’s programmes in general. I have no hesitation in recommending Gecko Programmes to future hosts. Our further involvement with their projects can be taken as read.”
STK Fire and Risk Management Ltd, 
Steve Menzler, 2014


​"We have continued to host International Placements through our partnership with Gecko. This year [2013] we hosted two 12 weeks placements namely Akio Takemoto and Federica Viola both from Italy. During their placements both demonstrated their commitment to the values and aims of WOW. Federica’s social media skills and experience in research helped WOW to increase facebook and twitter traffic and relaunch our newsletter. Akio, a video maker and journalist played a valuable role in the DVD production of The Way We Are project. He further designed and produced the illustrations that accompanied stories told to us by the participants, many of which can be seen on our website. Akio was the key contributor to the DVD production and even transcribed and edited the final piece, a complex task when English is not your first language."
                                                        Women of Wolverhampton Newsletter, 2013


​“Sofia Alambre dos Santos Charola had a three month gradate intern placement with WOW from April to the end of June 2011 and I can confirm that during that time she was most useful to our organisation and was a delightful person to work with in every way.

While she was with us, WOW made use of her undoubted talents by asking her to design posters and other publicity material and to re-design our e-bulletin, the website and the WOW logo all of which was of great use to our organisation. The redesigned logo went to the WOW Board and there was a very positive response whilst WOW has used publicity material Sofia designed to good effect. Her input in this area will be greatly missed”
                                                           Women of Wolverhampton, Chris Irvine, 2011