Virtual internships

Virtual internships

Virtual internships have many benefits, such as accessing a wider diverse talent pool and providing greater flexibility for you and the intern.

There are many tasks and projects you can consider for a virtual intern. For example, you could hire an intern to lead a short-term project or develop communications or marketing material. These can be done remotely, so you wouldn’t need to provide office space.

Read our brochure to learn more about the benefits of an OU virtual internship.

Make a virtual internship work for you and the intern

There are many things to consider when hiring an intern, think about:

How and when you will communicate with each other. There are many online tools to help you, such as Skype and instant messaging.
Providing line manager support and mentoring to help you and the intern create a positive experience.
Any IT requirements such as access to resources, security and support.
Your responsibilities as an employer, such as employment rights for the intern, payroll, holiday entitlements, liability insurance and health and safety for homeworkers.

You’ll also find providing quality internships guidance on the Gov.uk site.