Internship programme drives business growth

Dunedin (Monday, 1 May 2017) – Dunedin’s business internship programme, Sexy Summer Jobs, has been the catalyst for dramatic growth in a local company.

Nomos one, established in 2011, is a high tech company delivering an online software system designed to transform the way businesses manage their commercial, retail and industrial property portfolios.

Through the Dunedin City Council’s Sexy Summer Jobs initiative, the company was able to test a business concept using tertiary student interns.

Business Manager at nomos one, Lydia Ireland, says, "The DCC’s business internship programme provided a sound platform for us to meet our business needs without commercial risk. As a result we were able to create and test a business model for recruitment that has proven so successful that from a basis of two Sexy Summer Jobs interns we have been able to recruit 80 additional law students and numbers are still growing.”

DCC Enterprise Dunedin Business Development Advisor Chanel O’Brien says the internship programme, which is supported by the Grow Dunedin Partnership, meets business needs, creates high value jobs, retains skills and talent in the city and contributes to the economic growth of Dunedin.

Since being launched in 2009, Sexy Summer Jobs has involved 95 businesses across a wide range of sectors. The programme has created 348 paid internships, which to date have resulted in 209 positions.

Ms O’Brien says, “The programme has expanded and is now accessed by businesses to grow capabilities and stimulate employment. It is attracting interest from start-ups and SMES across the city, from sectors as diverse as information technology, education and research, niche manufacturing, creative and biotech/health technologies.”

Ms Ireland says the nomos one software aims to be a global leader for those managing commercial properties. The company is already working with significant partners in retail, infrastructure and education and has a growing international presence in Australia and the UK.

Since December 2016, the company grew from 10 FTEs to a team of 95 casual, part time and full time roles.

Nomos one intern Bryn Jenkins says, “I believe the Sexy Summer Jobs programme is an invaluable initiative to link students with the wider Dunedin business community. It offers students the ability to upskill, while business gains enthusiastic and driven students to work with.”

Intern Gemma O’Donnell adds, “It has been a great opportunity to gain experience and understanding of the practicalities of property law and management.”

Ms Ireland says, “It is rewarding to hear the feedback from our law students on real life learning experiences that develop skill sets in their chosen field and is positively contributing to our company’s growth and Dunedin's economy."

Ms O’Brien says the programme is driven by business need. Businesses’ satisfaction with the quality of their interns is a key success measure and 91% of businesses this season reported they were very satisfied with their interns.

“Staying focused on business needs and reducing commercial risk is key to the success of this programme. We are fortunate in Dunedin to have two highly regarded tertiary providers, the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, and we work very closely with them. Sexy Summer Jobs aligns Dunedin’s contemporary businesses with a talented pool of tertiary students creating employment, improving quality of life and driving economic growth in Dunedin.”

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