Stoke-on-Trent-based insurance brokers Pace Ward Ltd is benefitting from an increase in online traffic, thanks to a Keele Santander intern from the Business School.

Partnering with Keele Santander Internships has had a huge impact on the business having increased online traffic overall by 60% and the company has seen improvements in the conversion of leads with Pace Ward’s intern gaining enhanced marketing skills and confidence for a future career as well as part-time employment.

The Santander Universities SME Internship Programme at Keele University matches the needs of a business with a talented student or graduate, providing the organisation with the latest thinking whilst allowing the intern to gain valuable experience in the workplace.

Pace Ward, which has over 35 years’ experience in providing a range of insurance solutions and financial services across the breadth of the UK, specialising in the automotive sector reached out to Keele Internships for digital marketing expertise.

Speaking about the company’s experience, Alison Whitfield, Office Manager at Pace Ward, commented:

“We employed second-year Marketing and Management student Gulam Choudhury as our intern and he was exactly what we were looking for. He has helped build on what we had, brought in new ideas and tools to use to help us deliver a higher presence.

“From day one, Gulam fitted in well with our team and was one of us in no time, applying fresh ideas and showing enthusiasm to take on new challenges. We were able to be flexible, working around both our needs and Gulam’s studies. The project resulted in us being able to increase our activity on social media and spread our business offering to a wider audience, which has been of great value.”

Gulam completed 100 hours of paid work at Pace Ward. Speaking about the role, he commented:

“My time at Pace Ward has been great, thanks to the friendly team. I settled into the role quickly even when it was challenging to learn the intricacies around the insurance industry.

“During my internship, I felt I achieved a lot, both for the company and for personal development. My duties were all related to the marketing and social media side of the business. It was great to see the impact that my work was having on the organisation’s social media channels and Google rankings.

“I would say an internship provides a taste of what you may be doing after graduation, allowing you to discover if you like your intended field of work or not which, for me, was important before leaving university.
“I now feel much more confident in applying for graduate jobs and I am keen to pursue a career in marketing thanks to my internship. I think it has definitely improved my overall employability.”

Alison added:

“I’m happy to admit that I initially had concerns about hosting an internship but, after interviewing all of the potential interns and seeing their good work ethic, desirable skills and all-round positive attitude towards work, I knew that it was going to be great. It’s been a valuable experience for us and we were so impressed with Gulam that we’ve since employed him on a part-time basis.

“For any business thinking about an internship, we’d highly recommend they speak to Keele University.”

Keele Internships, funded by Santander Universities, provides businesses with cost-effective academic and business support for growth. For information on the opportunities available through the Keele-Santander programme, please visit www.keele.ac.uk/internships.

Due to the current situation, Keele Internships is offering a Virtual Internships programme to charities at no cost, allowing for remote working between students and the charity. Find out more here.

Businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire can benefit from a range of programmes that provide specialist support and funding, more details of which are available through Keele University’s Business Gateway - 01782 733001 / business.gateway@keele.ac.uk.