Sheffield Hallam University will guarantee its alumni a paid internship if they are unable to find a job 12 months after graduation.

As part of changes to how the university approaches employment issues, graduates who are not in work or further study 12 months after successfully completing their course will be offered a placement.

The offer will be available for students starting from September 2026, and forms part of a new “seven-point commitment” from the university on career development.

Internships will be at least three months in duration, and either be based at the university itself or one of their employer partners across a range of sectors, depending on demand.

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Sheffield Hallam will also launch a new on-campus student recruitment agency that will help connect students with part-time jobs, placement opportunities and graduate-level roles. 

Further commitments as part of the new strategy include the university focusing more on practical learning and establishing “meaningful” employer connections.

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The commitment comes amid an increasingly difficult job market, with a recent survey by Jisc finding that 20 per cent of 5,000 recent graduates had applied for more than 100 jobs in their attempts to find work. 

Universities are increasingly exploring how internships and work experience can be used to improve graduate outcomes, with the University of Manchester recently announcing that students will soon be expected to take part in work placements as part of their degrees in order to be competitive in the jobs market. 

Liz Mossop, vice-chancellor at Sheffield Hallam, said: “The labour market is changing rapidly, shaped by technological innovation, economic uncertainty and evolving employer expectations, and universities must evolve too. 

“Our career promise packages our extensive and tailored support into a single, coherent proposition. It signals to prospective students that we understand their priorities and share their ambitions.” 

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Ebuka Obi, the president of its student union, welcomed the news, describing it as an “excellent opportunity that directly responds to the challenging job market and student expectations for their degrees to lead to employment and professional development opportunities”. 

“The university already offers outstanding employability support and real-world learning experiences. Adding a guaranteed internship is a significant step forward that positions Hallam ahead of others in the sector.” 

A similar scheme run by De Montfort University since 2013 has seen 2,500 graduates employed as paid interns. 

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com