Future Shift

Low Carbon Devon Internship and Leadership Programme
Future Shift
The Low Carbon Devon Internship and Leadership Programme is a 3-month fully-funded internship opportunity placing current students or recent graduates of the University of Plymouth within Devon SMEs to work on a low carbon project.
The internship programme will provide invaluable support for Devon-based enterprises combined with practical work experience and leadership development for current students and recent graduates. This will allow local organisations to deliver a low carbon project, develop or implement a new low carbon idea, product or service, and/or reduce their carbon emissions. 
The innovative leadership component will comprise of change-leadership and personal development workshops for the interns to enable them to become future-fit as change-makers, leaders and role models of a low carbon society. These weekly 1-hour workshops will focus on sustainability leadership and developing the skills and tools combined with the inspiration, confidence and ability to facilitate compassionate and proactive change to tackle the climate challenge. They will be framed using the Plymouth Compass leadership tool .
Applications for new internship opportunities are open. These internships will take place between October to December 2022. The closing date is midnight Tuesday 23 August. 
To learn more, please read the information pack and refer to the FAQs document.
Details of how to apply are within the job descriptions listed at the bottom of this page.
For an informal discussion about the internship programme please contact Chris Woodfield, Low Carbon Devon Knowledge Exchange Officer.
Please first check whether your question is covered in the FAQs document. 
Chris can be contacted on sustainabilityhub@plymouth.ac.uk 

Key details

  • 3 months in duration (3, 4 or 5 days per week).
  • Free to sign-up and salary of intern is fully funded by the Low Carbon Devon project.
  • Practical work experience combined with leadership development.
  • 3-month programme; October–December 2022.
  • Eligible organisations – SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) based in Devon.
  • Available for current students and recent graduates of the University of Plymouth.
  • Transformational professional and personal leadership development – empowering today’s future leaders.

<p>Low Carbon Devon Internships&nbsp;</p>

“Going through the B Impact Assessment process has been extremely insightful and useful for us as an organisation, highlighting what we are doing well and where we need to improve. I would definitely recommend it and the Low Carbon Devon internship programme has enabled this to happen.” 
Phil Hawthorne, Head of Design at Red Paddle Co

<p>Low Carbon Devon Internship Knowledge Exchange&nbsp;</p>

“The Internship programme helps take action on real-world challenges facing Devon enterprises whilst providing meaningful and empowering internship opportunities for the interns. We’ve seen that the enterprises have been able to put into practice projects and ideas they wouldn’t be able to otherwise without the valuable resource and fresh perspective from the interns.” 
Chris Woodfield, Knowledge Exchange Officer, Low Carbon Devon

“I liked the systemic change workshop; I really think that was key in keeping motivated and seeing the bigger picture for the potential in maintaining the aim to make change within traditional businesses.”
Madeleine Flynn, ESG and B Corp Intern at Red Paddle Co

<p>Low Carbon Devon Internships Red Paddle Intern</p>
<p>Low Carbon Devon Internships Intern J Wippell &amp; Co</p>

“I actively engaged with independent project development and completion and as a result, have further developed my skill set in relation to task-management, efficiency and monitoring productivity.”
Hannah Smalldon, Environmental Impacts Intern at J Wippell & Co

Future Shift Internship Graduation

Applications open

Are you a current student or recent graduate?

Applications for new internship opportunities are open. These internships will take place between October to December 2022. The closing date is midnight Tuesday 23 August. 
To learn more, please read the information pack and refer to the FAQs document. 
Details of how to apply are within each of the following job descriptions.
 
Current internships:
THINQTANQ Plymouth – Planet Positive Workspace Intern
Plymouth Scrapstore CIC – Sustainability and Climate Impact Intern
Drew & Co – Carbon Net Zero Intern
Bailey Partnership – Net Zero Carbon Intern

Are you a Devon based SME?

As the Low Carbon Devon project approaches the end of its funded period, we are not able to organise further internships with host organisations. However, we want to continue to gauge interest in similar opportunities within the Devon SME community to help us apply for future funding. 
We’d appreciate you completing our expression of interest form with details of your idea for an internship and whilst we are not currently able to facilitate this, it will help inform applications for future funding.