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Warwick Institute of Engagement

Public Engagement Internships

Paid Internships

In Public and Community Engagement

Public and Community Engagement Internships

Gain work experience in public and community engagement by doing a paid internship for (typically) six weeks over the summer. You'll be hosted by an organisation in the West Midlands and funded by the Warwick Institute of Engagement. Hosts will include arts and culture organisations (such as theatres, museums and galleries) and other charities and organisations working with and empowering their local communities. You will be paid the real Living Wage during the internship.

Join the mailing list.See current vacancies.

What you'll gain

  • Gain real-world experience of public/community engagement and develop your knowledge and skills in this area. Some opportunities may also include learning about community organising.
  • Develop your transferable skills for future employment.
  • Earn money over the summer, being paid the real Living Wage.

Of course, we hope your host organisation and the people they engage with will also gain a lot from the work you do during the internship!

Possible Activities and Projects

Depending on the host organisation, you might work on some of the following. Details of what you could work on will be included in the internship advert from each organisation when it's time for you to apply.

  • Facilitating children's and adults' interaction with exhibitions
  • Supporting interactive events and workshops for visitors - helping with preparation and delivery
  • Supporting learning programmes for young people
  • Supporting community engagement events and activities around Coventry and Warwickshire
  • Working directly with artists on community engagement
  • Supporting activities related to community organising
  • Capturing evaluation data (qualitative and quantitative)
  • Writing digital content about the projects you're supporting, e.g., blogs or social media posts
  • Promoting events
  • Photography

What are the internships like?

    There were four internships in summer 2023. Read the interns' reflections on their experiences.

    In 2023, the internships were at:

    • Coventry Artspace
    • Culture Coventry Trust (working across the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry Transport Museum and Lunt Roman Fort)
    • Grapevine
    • Warwick Arts Centre

    Vacancies - apply now to do an internship in summer 2024

    Apply now for:

    Closed adverts:

    • Audience Development Assistant (two roles available) - Warwick Arts Centre. Applications closed on 10th January.
    • Learning and Engagement Assistant - Culture Coventry Trust. Applications closed on 7th January.
    • Creative Community Projects Assistant - Together for Change at Saints community centre in Nuneaton. Applications closed on Monday 12th February.

    Register for updates

    Please fill in this form to join our internship mailing list. We'll let you know when it is time to apply for each internship. Please keep checking your email for updates, including during the vacation.

    When can I apply?

    Application windows for the summer internships will open at different times for each internship, between November and February. The adverts will be published on MyAdvantageLink opens in a new window. Find them by searching the keyword #wieinternships

    Who can apply?

    All current University of Warwick students are eligible to apply. Warwick alumni are eligible to apply up until one year after they have graduated.

    Questions?

    If you have a question that isn't answered on this page, please get in touch with Helen Luckhurst at .

    Support available from the University before, during and after your internship

    Advice on applying and preparing for internships and other workLink opens in a new window

    Explore the WorkReady toolkit made by Student Opportunity for help with applying and preparing for internships and other work experience as well as graduate jobs. You can also find help with capitalising on your work experience once you've completed it.
    WorkReady Toolkit develops work-readiness for graduate jobs. WorkReady - one-stop support for your work experience needs. Getting started - I want to find work experience. Getting ready - I've secured work experience. Getting ahead - I've done work experience. warwick.ac.uk/WorkReady

    Accommodation

    Accommodation is not included in the internships. If you want to live on campus, you could look into vacation accommodation, which is run by the student information centre. Read information about vacation accommodation on their webpage. To find out more you can contact the student information centre.

    Right to work in the UK

    If you are a Student Visa holder, you can find information about your right to work in the UK on the

    immigration team's FAQs. If you have further questions, please contact Warwick's Student Immigration team directly.

    Unitemps will check all interns' right to work prior to their internship commencing.

    Equality, diversity and your future career

    Explore information, advice and support from the Warwick Careers Team (part of Student Opportunity):

    "We know that a postcode, a challenging school background, your experience as a first-generation university student or as a member of an underrepresented community should not define your employability chances.  

    Visit our webpages to find information about: 

    • Inform you about your rights to equality
    • The support the Careers Service offers to help enhance and develop your employability and personal skills
    • Events, workshops, and opportunities available through the Careers Service
    • Opportunities from employers to help you overcome barriers, achieve your full potential and give you fair access to graduate roles

    We are here to support you through career planning, career decision making and job searching."

    Careers Team, Student Opportunity.