The UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) started in April 2006 as a five year initiative with the aim of enhancing educational links between India and the UK. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership programme supported by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, British Council, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, The Scottish Government, Department of Learning-Northern Ireland, and Welsh Assembly. British Council, apart from funding the programme is also the delivery partner for UKIERI. 

UKIERI’s overarching objectives include bringing India and the UK together through academic engagement; developing long term strategic and sustainable partnerships; developing new institutions and centres of excellence as global knowledge hubs; successful integration between research, education and business needs; enhancing capacities through development initiatives in leadership, skills development and innovation; providing opportunities for joint learning through adapting models, standards and practices prevalent in both India and the UK across sectors and contribution to the mutual recognition of learning

For further information about UKIERI and the Work Placement Programme visit  http://ukieri.org/work-placement-programme.html

New Delhi headquartered Sannam S4 specialises in helping overseas companies get established in the Indian marketplace. Its role in the new programme is to identify work placements for the graduates across a wide range of industries and cities, and ensure students get the most from their experience professionally, culturally and socially. 

For further information about Sannam S4, visit www.sannamS4.com

The UKIERI Work Placement Programme and the Global Internship Graduate Certificate (GIGC-I) aims to provide recently qualified, Further and Higher Education graduates and postgraduates from the UK, with an opportunity to live and work in India to develop a greater understanding of Indian culture in the business world.   It is aimed at recent graduates within two years of graduation, looking to launch your career, seeking ways to further develop your career path or gain experience in a new multi-cultural business climate and culture.

The modules within the GIGCI are designed to help you to: 

• Make sense of international working cultures and practices and your role within the world of work.
• Be able to undertake career planning to manage your career and to participate successfully in graduate recruitment processes.
• Undertake a meaningful period of work experience in a relevant field, within a Indian or international company, and undertake an original piece of work (project) which is of benefit to both you and the placement provider.
• Develop and use skills, knowledge and experience in a practical setting.

The programme consists of two credit-bearing modules: 

Module 1: Preparation and Planning (20 credits):
This module, commencing in January, is an intensive course taken prior to the internship. This module aims to enhance your self-awareness, career management skills and understanding of UK and international working cultures and thus prepare you for your internship. You will participate in highly interactive learning sessions where you will explore topics such as project management, team working, commercial awareness, networking and presentation skills. 

Module 2: Internship and Development (40 credits):
This module combines the internship placement with further developmental learning which will help equip you with all the career planning skills you need to search for your next job or opportunity and to manage your career into the future. 

Internship Placement:
Prior to the beginning or the programme, students will be carefully matched to an internship opportunity which relates to their degree and/or compliments their career aspirations. During their internship, students will undertake a project which is beneficial to their placement host and which also helps them to develop or make full use of their skills, knowledge and experience. Training allowances for each month of the placement are attached to all internships. This will cover the cost of accommodation inIndia and travel cost to place of work.

Internship placements will commence at the end of January and last for up to 5 months. Throughout their internship, students will be given appropriate support from workplace supervisors and university tutors. 

Some of the organisations who have already signed up to offer internships in this exciting new programme are:

• ADP Architecture 
• Balfour Beatty 
• Catholic Relief Services
• Continental Engineering Corporation
• Control Risk 
• HSBC
• NewsX 
• Odgers Berndtson
• Sannam S4: Finance Intern 
• Sannam S4: HR Intern 

Module content:
The internship experience will be enhanced by continual learning delivered by a mix of online distance learning and 'call-back' days to our partner’s, Sannam S4, facilities in India. Topics covered will include creating a winning CV, succeeding at interviews and making a professional impact. 

Methods of Teaching and Assessment:
Throughout the programme learning and teaching will be based around intensive, face-to-face highly interactive and participatory lectures, seminars and tutorials. Additionally, students will use MyDundee, the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to enhance and extend their learning. Assessment is by continual assessment, there are no exams for this programme.

Module 1 Preparation & Planning

Module 1 is a full time module which will largely take the form of interactive seminars and workshops. Assessment will be via:

• Online skills assessment (Dundee Graduate Skills Award)
• Group oral presentations
• Written report on internship sector

Module 2 Internship Placement

This module will be delivered by a mix of distance learning and 'call-back' days at our partner’s, Sannam S4, facilities inIndia.

• 'Call back' days, consisting of full or half day master-classes
• Online learning material
• Visits by programme representative to students on internship placement

The course is continually assessed through written and practical coursework. There are no exams.

Who is eligible to apply for the UKIERI Work Placement Programme & Global Internship Graduate Certificate? 

• Must hold a UK passport
• Must have a minimum of a good honours degree or equivalent from a recognised institution in any subject
• Must be in the first stage of their working life and within two years of graduation from Undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
• Must be eligible to gain an Indian tourist visa.

Applications should be made through UKPASS. 

You will be applying to a pathway on the Scottish Internship Graduate Certificate (SIGC) and as part of the application form you will be asked to select where you wish to take your internship (India or Scotland).  

Please note the with the application form, you MUST upload or send under a separate cover the following:

As the employment market becomes ever more competitive, internships provide a vital route to graduate recruitment. GIGC(I) suits recent graduates looking to launch their global career.

Past participants in the Scottish internship programme have benefited from a real advantage in the UK graduate recruitment market by gaining valuable hands on experience within their sector. Many of our graduates have found paid positions with their internship organisations. Others have gone on to prestigious graduate recruitment schemes or found graduate work locally. Some have also chosen to study further or have pursued further internship experience.

The exact nature of career opportunities will be dependent on previous qualifications, experience and career aspirations of individual students. However, it is expected that GIGC(I) will significantly boost employability and career prospects in a variety of sectors including multi-national and overseas companies.

The course fees are waived for this January 2013 intake.

All placements attract a training allowance for each month of the placement. This will be used to pay for accommodation and commuting costs to place of work in India.

Successful applicants will have to fund their own flight, travel insurance, visa application fee and living expenses, which will be approximately £2,000. A further deposit of £300 will be required to pay for accommodation in the event of student leaving programme early. This will be returned on arrival back to UK.

Lynsay Pickering

GIGC-I Co-ordinator

Email address: gigc-i@dundee.ac.uk