At West Suffolk Council our aim is to lead as an Employer of Choice, offering opportunities to those currently at university who are ambitious, hard-working, dedicated and who want to make a difference to our area and its community.

Our successful internship programme is specifically designed for UK undergraduates (when applying) who are seeking to gain and develop employability skills, to ease the transition from study to work, increase skills and knowledge and to provide excellent networking and learning and development opportunities.

We offer both 12-week summer placements and a 39–40-week industrial placement depending on the placement across a diverse range of service areas. We aim to provide an insight into the way our Council is run and the challenges we face and how these are managed on a day-to-day basis. If successful, you will work within a specific placement area, but will also work together as an intern team on a group project for the Council.

But please, don’t just take our word for it, meet our past interns and read about their experiences by visiting our internship page.

Our 2023 placements are:

Commercial Environmental Health & Licensing (12 weeks)

Energy and Environment (12 weeks)

Governance (Elections team) (12 weeks)

Housing Options and Homelessness (12 weeks)

Planning Development (12 weeks)

Waste and Street Scene (12 weeks)

Strategic Property and Estates (Property) (39/40 weeks)

Please indicate in the additional information section of the application form which placement(s) you would be interested in. You may select up to three placements, in preference order.

All our 12-week internships start on 12 June 2023, the industrial placement has a flexible start date, however it is beneficial if it begins with the others in order to become part of the wider internship programme. These placements are perfect opportunities to invest in your future, gain vital work experience and unleash and showcase your potential to use in future job interviews!

You can expect to be paid the National Living Wage, work a 37-hour week, be eligible to annual leave as and when accrued over the period you are employed, plus enjoy our employee benefits package with discounts on gym membership, cinema, shopping, travel and a whole lot more during your time with us.

We positively encourage agile working, with work being an activity we do, not a place we go. Work styles are led by operational and organisational need and are jointly agreed between the manager and employee. Therefore, whilst there will be opportunities to work from home or an alternative base, this role will require you to attend our offices in Bury St Edmunds or Mildenhall when required. You must be available throughout the first two weeks of the placement to undertake the induction period.

If you have any queries regarding a placement or application, please email samantha.knight@westsuffolk.gov.uk or telephone 01638 719334.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 26 February 2023

Assessment Centre: Thursday 6 April 2023 (this will take place at our Bury St Edmunds offices)