Manx Graduates, the Isle of Man's online community for professionals, is to provide the exclusive channel for applicants to the Graduate Internship Programme jointly developed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Isle of Man International Business School (IBS).

Launched last year to help link Island employers with graduates, Manx Graduates is to provide employers with a means to promote their Graduate Internship placement directly to a large group of graduate Manx workers.  All applications will be routed through the site.

"The Graduate Internship Programme is designed to provide recent graduates with an entry into a career on the Island so that they might make a long-term, significant contribution to the Manx economy," explained Andrew Stewart, training services manager at the Department of Trade and Industry. 

"The Manx Graduates website provides the perfect channel to match candidates with placements for the programme."

The central component of the programme is a two-year work placement with an Isle of Man employer, during which the participant gains valuable experience and works on projects that provide real benefits to the employer.

In parallel with the work placement, participants study for an MBA part-time at the IBS, gaining a postgraduate degree.

The Internship Programme was devised by the DTI to help graduates who currently face a challenging employment market to gain valuable work experience and additional qualifications.

The MBA Business Management programme is designed to complement the placement and involves attendance at the IBS for one day a week over a two-year period.

In addition, there is a mentoring component where an IBS mentor works closely with participants helping them to apply what they learn on the MBA programme to their working life and providing a link between the employer and the IBS.

Chris Gledhill, managing director at PDMS, the software company which designed and developed the Manx Graduates site, said, "It is increasingly obvious that for the majority of people, well executed online services are the preferred way to engage with the administrative tasks.

"Manx Graduate's smart interface as the primary channel will save time and money for all parties involved in the application process. This is an excellent example of an online social network at its best."  

For more information about the Graduate Internship/MBA programme, contact Andrew Stewart by emailing andrew.stewart(at)training.dti.gov.im or calling (01624) 678151.