I had the absolute pleasure of having Kate as my intern this summer and, honestly, I only wish we could have had her for longer! Kate joined us with enthusiasm, curiosity and a real dedication to developing our data transformation project, which was exactly what it needed. I had an idea of what I wanted to achieve, but it was Kate who helped make it a reality. She explored different options, researched platforms, spoke to peers and experts, analysed student need, and created and tested examples, learning from what worked and, importantly, what didn’t.
Kate developed the first training resources for the project, taking existing training and transforming it into audio, document and video formats using H5P, a platform that was new to both Kate and our team. Accessibility and ease of navigation were key considerations, particularly as student feedback had highlighted the importance of being able to return easily to specific parts of the training. Kate researched best practice and spoke to experts to ensure our approach met these needs. She also created a clear handover guide for our new student staff, who will lead on the administration of the project over the next six months, ensuring that her work can continue and develop.
Having an intern meant we could properly start, trial and evaluate this part of the project, incorporating student perspectives throughout. Kate and I met weekly to review progress, ideas and challenges. At one point, we pivoted our approach entirely because Kate had tested an idea, identified that it wasn’t working and researched alternative solutions. Having dedicated resource to undertake that exploration was incredibly valuable and enabled us to progress a priority that I would otherwise have struggled to find sufficient time to develop.
The value of having an intern is difficult to overstate. Kate made fantastic inroads into a training project we aim to roll out next year and identified additional possibilities we had not previously considered. While managing an intern requires an investment of time, particularly through onboarding, regular catch-ups and feedback, the return is absolutely worth it. It was also important to me that the experience worked both ways, so Kate was encouraged to access workshops and wider development opportunities alongside her project work, supporting her own learning and work experience.
I would thoroughly recommend the internship programme to colleagues across the University. The ideas, creativity, fresh perspective and dedicated time an intern can bring are invaluable. Kate has moved our project forward significantly and left a clear foundation for others to build upon, creating the potential for a lasting positive impact on students undertaking training within the Students’ Union.
Annette Goddard
Skills and Development Manager
Students' Union
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