A ‘design’ for success for changemaking internship student

A design student is looking forward to enhanced employability after adding marketing skills to her CV, all thanks to a University of Northampton (UON) internship.

Amy Robins, from Wellingborough, graduated last year from UON’s Graphic Communications degree. But since July, she has put her learning into good practice with an internship at Northampton-based logistics company Goodwill Solutions. The internship is funded and supported by the University’s Changemaker Team*.

Goodwill Solutions – founded in 2008 – helps give ex-offenders, people with a disability, the homeless, and disadvantaged young people the opportunity to work in the logistics sector, by working at Goodwill or taking employment training with them.

She explains how she is using the internship to help Goodwill Solutions and add to her professional toolbelt: “I feel privileged to have this opportunity with Goodwill Solutions as they are all about helping people to restart their careers and their lives…and I have been very busy!

“From my time at the University I was well-versed with the design side, but now I am combining that knowledge with new marketing skills in real campaigns and getting to know how to advertise to certain groups of people.

“I am focusing on creating their Facebook and Instagram posts and designing the imagery for their job adverts, including their fully funded training courses for people looking to go into employment in the supply, logistics and infrastructure sector. If you see any leaflets and brochures from Goodwill, that’ll also be me as I’ve been designing those.

Stephen MacFarlaine, Academy Operations Manager at Goodwill Solutions, says: “Since Amy joined the team here at Goodwill Solutions, she has been a breath of fresh air to our marketing and social media efforts.  She’s been vocal in putting forward suggestions and ideas and her work in design and creation of text has been excellent.  Amy has really taken the social ethos of Goodwill to heart and has driven our digital channel engagement with passion. “

Amy concludes her story: “The thing I am most proud with is that engagements on their LinkedIn account have gone up by about 60%. I finish the internship at the end of this month, but now I have marketing side of graphic design and communications under my belt, I feel more confident with my shot at my first graduate job.”

*Changemaker is a UON ethos and set of initiatives and support that helps students, staff, and members of the community to develop solutions to community, social or environmental issues.