At a time when we are debating how we can both retain and attract talent to the outdoor industry, especially during these lean times, internship provides a great value for money solution for businesses. A recent survey report by the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) showed that 69% of employers see internships as a good way to develop new talent in an industry sector, and 76% think they can be used as a way to test potential new staff. Internships can be especially beneficial for SMEs looking to either attract new business talent or take on new staff on a project basis without the long term commitment and cost.
The OIA has just partnered up with Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) to help its members tap into some of their expertise and talent pool. Internships bring many benefits to companies including investigating issues, opportunities or problem areas. It doesn’t have to be project based, although there are many areas theses students specialise in such as marketing and branding, HR management, workflow problems and organisational change. The employer also has the additional benefit of accessing the knowledge held at the University via the project supervisor.
There is no quick fix, but along side working on a new outdoor retail training scheme, our new partnership with LUMS provides another avenue to not only raise the professional profile of the industry but also give businesses a fantastic opportunity to work with some real business talent who can make a difference to their company. And these students are no strangers to ‘the real world’ as they work with outside clients as part of their course. Of course interns are not free, but as with everything in life, you get out what you put in. So if you are in need of someone to make the office tea and do the photocopying on the cheap, then employing an intern is probably not for you…
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Chris Lines, Outdoor Industries . Outdoor Industries said: Internships is a great way to add value to your business and attract real talent into the outdoor industry http://bit.ly/b5TxxA [...]
One of the key reasons why I continue to support the PSD education programmes is that I get to meet the next generation of designers coming into our industry. It is their constant questioning that makes me re-evaluate whether our current practises in design & performance sports are still applicable. The market has progressed since I first learnt about it; the fabrics have evolved, the manufacturing techniques have been more efficient; & so on
Mike Parsons had the original line of thought when he was doing the OMM range: he welcomed comment towards improvements in the design from the user of the garment (it was printed in the label). As a designer you have a limited perspective of what is required – the more than you open your mind to what others think, the better the final product. I know the drawback that is the camel is the horse designed by a committee, but that happens when there is no clear vision
It works in design – hence why not invite interns to join you & listen to their comments? The least it will do is to reveal that how you have tried to explain a concept to them is confused as they do not comprehend it, imagine how confused your consumer is then!