Driven intern
helps develop a
delivery strategy for
ethical ice cream company

Finding the perfect match

In February 2020, Directors of Just-Ice, Gavin and Sally Murray, attended the University of Derby Driven Internship Fair, where the University of Derby Employer and Community Engagement Team invited a number of SME employers on-site to meet members of the Driven Talent Pool, a selection of high-calibre University of Derby students and graduate talent searching for opportunities to gain paid professional work experience.

Just-Ice was looking to recruit a Logistics Research Project Manager intern, to support with the development of the business's new "Tub Club app".

The value of an intern and the service

When asked about the value of an intern to their business and why students and graduate should consider working for an SME, Just-Ice Director, Sally Murray, said "they are a resource and at the moment we're really time starved, we're a small social enterprise and we've got loads of ideas, an intern could really help us bring some of those ideas into being". To find out more about Just-Ice and to hear more of Sally's thoughts on why students and graduates should work for an SME, please watch the video below:

Following the Just-Ice team's engagement at the DRIVEN internship Fair, the Employer and Community Engagement team organised a full cycle of recruitment to find the perfect intern for the role. The search culminated in the company finding the highly talented University of Derby graduate and current PHD student, Claude Bahati BA Hons.

When asked about the value of the service provided by the Employer and Community Engagement team provided, Director of Just-Ice, Sally Murray said:

“[they] gave excellent support in helping us to understand what the possibilities were for internships. Then guiding us through every aspect of writing the advert and attending the intern fair. They then shortlisted our candidates and even found us a suitable interview space as we do not have an office. They are always on hand to answer questions and excellent at communicating at each stage of the process”.

From the students perspective

Claude Bahati was looking for a part-time, paid internship opportunity to provide him with some professional work experience in the area of his PHD subject, supply chain improvement. Claude’s internship project was to support the Just-Ice team to develop a last-mile delivery strategy for their business’s new “Tub Club” app which would facilitate the delivery of Just-Ice products to their customers via a combination of bicycle, car, motorcycle and van. When asked about the value of the internship Claude said:

"The ability to do the internship part-time really helped me to balance my study and work commitments, and on a personal level, I definitely feel like I believe more in myself and my abilities now! Thank you Just-Ice."

Since completing his internship with Just-Ice, Claude has continued to study for his PHD at the University of Derby and looks to continue developing his professional work experience with supply chain improvement.

In May 2020, the Driven programme supported Just-Ice to recruit and fill two further internship positions: an Accounting and Finance Data Internship and a Sustainability and Environmental Internship.