Enscite, a Derby-based organisation set up to support SMEs in the transport engineering supply chain, has launched a new funding initiative for local employers looking to get graduate placements into their business.
The Enscite graduate funding scheme will provide up to £4,000 of financial support for each individual placement between its partner universities — Aston, Cranfield and Derby — and SMEs in the automotive, aerospace or rail sectors.
There is no time limit on how long the graduates spend with the company, nor is the scheme restricted to engineering graduates. As such, Enscite believes that it is “an ideal opportunity” for companies to get support for projects across a wide range of sectors.
Enscite managing director Colin McKinnon said: “Funding is limited and will be awarded on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so I would urge SMEs keen to recruit graduates to contact us to discuss their eligibility.”
He added: “Much has been said about the potential skills shortage, and this is a great opportunity for local SMEs to tap into some excellent up and coming young talent from leading universities. We hope that, by providing a small amount of funding to support the cost of the graduate, we can widen the scheme to even the smallest businesses, some of which may not have considered this sort of thing before.”
To qualify, graduates must have a degree or NVQ4-equivalent qualification awarded in the last three academic years. For more information, visit the Web site (
www.enscite.co.uk).