Listen! With Frank Mitchell

The Stranmillis University College Graduate Internship Programme is targeted at students who have recently graduated and are preparing to enter the labour market. The primary aim of the internship is to provide graduates with meaningful professional experience through involvement in projects which enhance the Graduate Interns’ employability and skills.

· the graduate internship is NOT a teaching role and is primarily a support role. The internship role description makes it clear that they are always under the guidance and mentorship of senior staff   

· the Vice-Principal of the school will supervise the intern and co-ordinate their programme of work, ensuring consistency and fidelity to the agreed objectives of the programme

· the internship provides an opportunity for those just graduating from a teaching degree to engage in projects under the guidance of an experienced practitioner   

The College makes it clear that:   

The intern is not to be deployed in schools for any other purpose than the duties set out in the internship role description. Graduate Interns are not to be engaged as substitute class teachers while engaged as interns. Should the host school wish to employ the intern as a substitute teacher, and pay them accordingly, the intern and the school are required to inform Stranmillis to seek their agreement to this change before any teaching is undertaken by the individual. The internship would end the day before any teaching work is undertaken by the individual, and the individual will have in effect resigned from the internship role by agreeing to undertake a teaching role.

The College would be happy to meet with Union officials to discuss their concerns.