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Strive Internship Programme
Sanderson has taken on the management of the award winning Strive Internship Programme from our close client, Hargreaves Lansdown
After taking our first intern through the scheme in the summer of 2024, we’re now excited to continue the fantastic work, started by Hargreaves Lansdown, The Mayor’s Office and Bristol City Council in 2020 that has since provided 105 paid internships to Black, Asian and minority ethnic students across 25 organisations, in a range of different industries.
"The Strive Internship programme has brought new talent and fresh ideas to Hargreaves Lansdown, while opening doors for underrepresented young people in our community. It’s a powerful step towards building a more inclusive future. We’re proud to continue our involvement and are delighted that Sanderson are supporting this fantastic programme."
What is the Strive Internship Programme?
The programme offers paid work experience placements to Black, Asian and minority ethnic university students across organisations in the West of England. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to fully immerse themselves in placements with partner organisations for 6–8 weeks, gaining hands-on work experience, building confidence, and developing their professional network
The cross-sector programme also includes opportunities for interns to attend valuable skill-building sessions designed to enhance career confidence and provide opportunities for interns to connect with each other and business leaders across the South West.
Internship Programme Objectives
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Opportunity
Offering young Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students a valuable workplace opportunity.
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Confidence
Building students’ confidence and professional and peer networks.
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Skills
Gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and their values and acquire transferable employment skills.
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Employability
Developing employability skills so that students can confidently find, apply and interview for future jobs.
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Connection
Providing a platform for local employers to connect with young talent, promote their opportunities and access talent across new talent pools.
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Pathways
Expanding the understanding of what Bristol and the South West has to offer in terms of sectors and roles and explore potential career paths.
How do organisations get involved?
If you are an organisation based in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire then you can register your interest to take on one or more students for 6-8 weeks starting in the Summer of 2025 by completing this form. The deadline for signing up is 31st January 2025.
As a proud business head quartered in the heart of Bristol for over 40 years, we are delighted to be taking on the Strive internship programme, offering opportunities to Black, Asian and minority ethnic university students across organisations in the West of England. This further continues our work and commitment to developing great talent in the city of Bristol and surrounding areas and to the local communities in which we work in.
How did the Strive Internship Programme get started?
In 2020, against the backdrop of the pandemic and rising unemployment amongst young Black students, Chris Hill, former CEO of Hargreaves Lansdown and Marvin Rees, Bristol Mayor, identified a need to take action to create opportunities for Black students. Inspired by the simplicity of the #10000BlackInterns initiative, Hargreaves Lansdown launched the ‘West of England Black Interns Pilot’, in partnership with Bristol City Council and The Mayor’s Office.
Building on the success of the pilot programme, the Strive Internship was created, broadening the focus to offer a paid internship opportunity to Black, Asian and minority ethnic university students, living or studying in Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. In 2022 the programme received an Institute of Student Employers award for the scheme.
Next steps
If you’re an organisation wanting to take part in the scheme, register your interest here. If you are a student looking for the opportunity of an internship, keep an eye on developments on this page. We’ll be opening up registration for students in early 2025. Drop us an email here if you have any questions [email protected]
Download our Strive Internship Programme Brochure
This brochure gives you a overview of what the Strive Internship Programme is, what its key objectives are, and how you can get involved!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Internships will take place over the summer period and will last between 6 and 8 weeks, depending on the placement organisation. More information about internship dates will be provided in the final stages of the recruitment and selection process which will take place in early Spring.
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Organisations across Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are eligible to offer internships as part of the programme, which means that internships on offer are across a range of organisations and sectors. We are in the process of finalising our partner organisations for our 2025 intake.
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Applications for the Internship will be open early 2025, details will be announced then. Students eligible for the Strive Internship Programme need to meet the following criteria.
- Be a Black, Asian or minority ethnic student, living in or studying an undergraduate degree in the region or have graduated from University within the last 12 months.
- Be available to work full-time from June 2025 for a minimum of six weeks.
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We are still in the process of finalising our internship opportunities for 2025, last year there were 20 internships.