Financial services provider Suntera Global has maintained its support for an innovative digital learning program delivered through University College Isle of Man (UCM), by offering career opportunities to three of the program’s interns.
Designed to give the island’s students the opportunity to nurture their digital skills, the Learning Company program was formally launched in 2020, when Suntera Global became an industry partner.
Through the innovative program, graduates undertake a 32-week paid internship as ‘digital learning designers’, focusing on using technology to enhance teaching and learning and designing online learning programs for the future. The program is open to interns from a range of degree backgrounds including computing, IT, graphic design, visual communications and marketing.
Suntera Global’s training team provided support and mentorship throughout the first year of the 32-week program and has now offered full-time positions to three of the interns who completed it. Myfanwy Gelder, Billy Redgrave and Rachael Kelly are now working across the firm’s marketing and digital learning teams.
Commenting on the firm’s ongoing support, Mark Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer at Suntera Global, said:
“ESG is such an important part of our business and ties so closely to our mantra of empowering responsible ambition. What better way to evidence this than by giving back and reinvesting in the community through nurturing sustainable digital skills, providing local students with the opportunity to gain the knowledge, experience and tools they will need to carve out a successful career in the future.
Our hope is that this creates a legacy for new career pathways and transferrable digital skills, learned directly within the Isle of Man. Local students would typically have to travel to the UK or further afield to learn these skills over a number of years, often unpaid. With the Learning Company, not only do you earn while you learn, but you can rapidly learn valuable skills in real-world scenarios.”
Pamela Berry, Head of Learning Development and Partnerships at UCM, added:
“When we initially came up with the idea for the Learning Company, it was about employability skills and giving our graduates, or indeed any islander who wanted to upskill, the chance to learn new things. It’s a really innovative approach and a genuine partnership between UCM and industry, giving students the opportunity to learn whilst being in a workplace environment at the same time.
We were also focused on economic growth, following on from the far-reaching effects of the pandemic on both our economy and our workforce. We were supported by the economic recovery fund to support this rapidly growing industry and we’re grateful to both them and Suntera Global for their belief in the project and their ongoing support.”
Commenting on the firm’s decision to offer roles to three students on the program, Luke Doherty, Head of Digital Learning at Suntera Global, commented:
“We’re so pleased to be able to offer three full-time positions to three of the interns who have completed the first year of the program. They’ve all shown real drive in learning new skills over the past year and there’s no doubt that they will be an asset to our business.”
To find out more or to apply for the 2022 Learning Company program, please visit the UCM website.
To learn more about our ESG commitments, click here.
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