Students go public on Council placement plan

Manchester City Council is about to give four youngsters the chance to walk its corridors of power on a work placement scheme starting this summer.

The placements are part of the Manchester Internships programme, established last year and sponsored by organisations in Manchester to contribute to the city's long-term economy and development.

Manchester City Council is one of the sponsors and is offering the placements throughout the council.  The council is also backing the internships programme as part of its Helping Hands campaign to help people through the recession.

Placements run over a 20-day period and are open to students aged 17+ studying at a Manchester-based school or college.

The placement is the chance to put classroom learning into practice through a work-based project, which fulfils a genuine need within the sponsor organisation. Projects are designed to fit around and link into the intern's studies and are led by a mentor in the sponsor organisation.

Councillor Bernard Priest, Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources at Manchester City Council, said: "I'm delighted that Manchester City Council is offering these internships because it shows our commitment to developing the workforce of the next generation, while at the same time improving our own services through the interns' contributions to a specific project.

"Getting a first job can be very hard and our interns will have an advantage by being able to prove they have work-based skills and a reference to support that work. The experience should also help them with their ultimate choice of career."

For more information on the Manchester Internships please log on to: www.manchesterinternships.co.uk