The Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) is providing £13.6 million for universities who have made successful bids to manage 8,500 internships within the Government priority sectors. The scheme aims to provide real-life, meaningful, paid work experience which benefits both employer and graduate.

This scheme is open to all 2008/2009 graduates from UK higher education institutions. Masters graduates who graduated in early 2010 are also eligible to apply. The programme is aimed at supporting recent creative graduates and small creative businesses and funding has been allocated for 100 internships.

The scheme, which runs until September 2010, gives you the chance to build skills and develop your career at a variety of companies who specialise in a range of disciplines including film, web, fashion and design. The paid internships are for 8 or 12 weeks. These longer and more focused internships are an excellent opportunity for you to gain experience in your chosen field.

To find out more about the scheme, including what internships are on offer, visit the Creative Careers work placements page where the list of internships is updated regularly. You can visit the website here

If you are an employer looking for an intern you can register your interest here