Stuart Ross Communications Internship

Job description

The Stuart Ross Communications Internship is a diversity initiative targeted at increasing the number of people from under-represented groups entering in the Public Relations, Communications and Marketing industries. Find out more about the internship and its background here.

The programme has been highly successful, and our interns have gone on to work in Communications both the public sector and private sector organisations, including to some senior positions in organisations as varied as the NHS, Network Rail, the Arts Council and TfL.

What will you be doing?

You’ll learn the essential skills you need to start your career in the communications industry in a fast-paced environment. You will have the opportunity to develop your written and verbal communication skills to reach a range of different audiences, including customers, the media, businesses, stakeholder groups and politicians.

As part of the team, you’ll be involved from the outset in key projects, creating campaigns, influencing how customers use London’s transport network and helping to shape TfL’s reputation.

During your 11-month internship, you will collaborate with teams across the organisation and gain a solid understanding of London’s transport network as well as building your skills in several specialities such as Public Relations, Public Affairs and Marketing.

You will be based in one of three teams, below, and will have the opportunity to undertake a placement in another area.

TfL Press Office

One of the UK's busiest press offices where you'll gain all the essential skills you need to start your career in Public Relations. You'll be involved in handling the big stories of the day affecting TfL as well as delivering dedicated stories and campaigns. You’ll learn the full range of Public Relations skills needed to work in the industry, from writing press releases, dealing with journalists and crisis handling to generating ideas for high profile campaigns and organising media events. These could include campaigns to tackle sexual harassment on public transport, Art on the Underground or Poppy Day.

TfL Customer Directorate

This team champions and is the voice of TfL’s customers, through marketing, customer information, behaviour change and income generating campaigns. From day one you’ll be involved in beginning to end of campaigns, learn how to use the best channels to inform customers and influence their travel behaviours and be involved in using customer feedback, research and data to problem-solve customers’ frustrations and provide best-in-class customer experience and information.

TfL External Relations

This includes Government Relations and Stakeholder, Advocacy & Engagement who are responsible for building and maintaining productive partnerships with customer and representative groups, businesses, charities, politicians and many others. During your time you will be provided with all the skills necessary for a career in Public Affairs, including developing relationships with key stakeholders, monitoring events and third-party positions on transport and related issues, responding to casework, ensuring feedback informs how we improve our policies and services and briefing senior TfL officials in preparation for meetings, events and speeches.

Where can this career take you?

Students who have completed this programme have secured positions as planning consultants in both the public and private sectors in the UK and abroad. This Year in Industry placement would be relevant to those seeking built-environment careers in:

• Development management.
• Property development.
• Transport planning.
• Policy making.
• Regeneration.
• Master planning.
• Sustainability.
• Local Government / Civil Service.

What training and support will you get?

You will be supported with a wide range of on-the-job practical experience and placements as well a combination of training, mentoring, and networking.

You'll also receive one-to-one guidance throughout the programme from your:

• Placement manager: Responsible for your day-to-day management and support with your development.
• Scheme sponsor: A senior manager who acts as a technical and professional adviser and has line manager responsibility.
• Buddy: Usually, a previous intern or graduate.
• Development adviser: Supports your professional development through providing career coaching and career progression at TfL.

We are also a Disability Confident employer and operate a transparent recruitment process that removes barriers for candidates with a disability. Please let us know if you require reasonable adjustments for any stages of the application process or, if successful, to undertake the internship.

What we offer

You will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

• Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household
• Discounted national rail and Eurostar travel
• Minimum 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• Private healthcare discounted scheme
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more

Location

Up to 50 per cent of time can be spent undertaking the internship from home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements may alter subject to business requirements. This internship benefits from regularly being in the office.

What we are looking for

Applications for joining TfL in 2025 are sought from candidates with specific protected characteristics who are:

• From Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds.
• People with a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
• Individuals from a disadvantaged socio-economic background.

Additionally, they must be either:

• A graduate with, or an undergraduate on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 in any degree.
• A non-graduate with no more than one year’s paid experience in the communications industry such as public relations, public affairs, marketing, stakeholder engagement, media, or other related fields.

The opportunity for those from ethnic minorities and/or having a disability to apply for the scheme is aligned with the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

This allows an employer to take certain actions where people who share a protected characteristic, such as being of a certain ethnic minority, are underrepresented in participating in a particular activity. The Government guide to Positive Action in the Workplace sets out further detail on Section 158 ((General) positive action) of the Equality Act at Sections 8-9.

As a public sector body, TfL is required by Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to advance the Public Sector Equality Duty, by which we must not only take steps to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation on grounds of protected characteristics, but must also seek to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it.

Our core values are extremely important to us, and we desire candidates who are:

• Caring about our colleagues, our customers and our work.
• Open to each other, to new ideas and to working together.
• Adaptable to diverse needs and willing to innovate.

Everything we do as an organisation is to ensure that our evolving city remains future proof for millions of Londoners. Our talented interns form a vital part of that vision, so it’s important that we find the best people to help us do this.

We’re looking for people who are:

• Motivated to learn and gain experience during their internship at TfL.
• Passionate about a career in communications, public relations, marketing or public affairs.
• Team players who thrive on working with other people, as well as working independently.

Accepted degree subjects

Any

Additional job details

How to apply

Thank you for your interest in applying for this TfL Internship Scheme.

We’d like to remind you that you must ensure you are eligible for this scheme before applying. Please read through the eligibility criteria below carefully and ensure that you are eligible before applying.

This application will also contain a series of questions to establish whether or not you are eligible. It is important that you take great care in reading and answering these questions as we will not be able to revert your application if an error is made.

Please Note: We only allow one application for any of our Graduate schemes per year. Any subsequent applications will be withdrawn.

Application process

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process.

Please click on this link for which describes each stage of the Graduates Application Process.

If you already hold your qualification certificates, please upload copies of these to your application. If you are due to sit final exams or need to replace any certificates, these can be provided at a later stage.

Inclusive Recruitment Process

We operate a transparent recruitment process that removes barriers for disabled candidates.

We're a Disability Confident employer, and we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum criteria for skills, knowledge and experience have been met.

Our candidate experience continues to be underpinned by a fair and robust reasonable adjustments process, in collaboration with our Occupational Health colleagues, and other expert organisations.

Contact us

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Contact the recruitment team by:

• Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17.30).
• Email: EarlyCareersCampaigns@tfl.gov.uk

Click Apply to start your application now. This job will be available on Prospects until 26 December 2024

Don't forget to mention Prospects to employers when you contact them.

Closing date:  26 December 2024