To be eligible to apply you must be the following:
AND
Entering your penultimate or final year of university. This includes:
Students can re-apply for the programme if unsuccessful. If you have previously applied, or been a member of the Candidate Pool in an earlier cycle, you can reapply a second time. (E.g. you were unsuccessful in your penultimate year of study, therefore you can re-apply in your final year). Please ensure that you check the eligibility criteria set by your university as this may have changed since your previous application.
Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Scholar Programme partners with Scotland's universities, and each institution provides a financial contribution to help make each internship possible.
As such, every student who becomes a Saltire Scholar has their high-quality internship experience part-funded by their university.
Each university makes independent budgeting decisions based on their own individual strategic plans which informs which types of internships each institution wishes to fund.
Please check below to see if your university has any specific criteria you need to be aware of prior to applying to the 2024 Saltire Scholar Programme.
2024 Saltire Scholar Programme - University Eligibility Criteria PDF
Saltire Scholar Internships typically start early June and usually last for 8,10 or 12 weeks.
When we advertise internship opportunities, we will also disclose the start date and duration of the role.
For example in 2023, the majority of internships started on Monday 12th or Monday 19th June 2023.
The internship start date will be included on the job advert and candidates should pay particular attention to this date.
Internship dates for International roles are not flexible due to Visa application timescales and travel/accommodation arrangements.
Please note that the decision of when internships will commence is at the discretion of the host company and therefore flexibility is not always possible or guaranteed.
Saltire internships are full-time roles and you will be expected to be available for the entirety of the internship. If you cannot commit to undertaking a 8-12 week internship over the summer because of prior commitments, eg, a 2 week summer holiday, you should not apply.
Yes, you can re-apply if you were unsuccessful the previous year. For example, if you were unsuccessful in your penultimate year, then you can re-apply in your final year.
Prior to re-applying, please do check for any specific eligibility criteria set out by your university, as it may have changed since you last applied. You can find this in the section above.
The Scholar team take responsibility for sourcing your accommodation and will work with you to book your flight. Entrepreneurial Scotland pays for accommodation and standard flights.
All Scholars must take the lead in submitting their visa paperwork and progressing through the required process. The scholar team will provide support throughout and Entrepreneurial Scotland will cover the cost of the Visa and Visa processing. Scholars are respectively advised that ES do not cover the cost of travel/accommodation Embassy interview visits where this arrangement may create financial hardship scholars are encourage to speak to the programme team for further assistance.
Yes, if you are on a year abroad and in your penultimate year or final year of study, you are eligible to apply. It is your responsibility to be organised with interviews and application timelines, taking into account any time differences in your country, as any deadlines stipulated will be in UK local time.
You will also need to be conscious of the start date of internships you apply to as this could clash with your term time.
If you are applying for an internship in the USA or Canada then you must be available to attend an in-person appointment at the Embassay.
Internships last between 8-12 weeks. The duration of each project is determined by the company who hosts our interns.
We share the dates and durations of the internships alongside the internship description when we advertise roles.
The Saltire Scholar Programme is open to applicants from all degree disciplines. We encourage all students to consider their transferable skills so that they can broaden their horizons. While there may be internships directly related to your degree, you may have other relevant skills that could be applicable to a different industry or role. In the past we have had pharmacy students undertaking marketing roles, and engineers undertake business analysis roles, so it pays to think outside of the box!
We partner with a wide variety of companies who operate in a range of industries and sectors all over the world. This includes business and finance, engineering, manufacturing, life sciences, creative industries, not-for-profit, public sector, IT, pharmaceuticals, transport, food and drink and many more.
When sourcing internship projects, we focus on identifying roles which deliver tangible impact to the company whilst also contributing to your learning and development.
Traditionally, all Saltire Scholar Internships take place, in-person, at the Host Company premises.
In 2020, in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, we launched our Virtual Internships enabling us to offer summer internships whilst prioritising the health, safety and well-being of all participants.
In 2021, 2022 and 2023 we continued to offer Virtual and Blended Internships and we will also be offering these as opportunities in 2024 in addition to fully in-person roles.
We partner with companies on an annual basis which means every year we offer a range of internships with companies who have hosted interns before, as well as new companies. We understand that students will be drawn to recognisable employer brands, however we pride ourselves on partnering with the world’s leading firms and entrepreneurial companies, some of which you may never have heard of before! Regardless of which company we partner with and where they are located, each role will offer students a valuable and meaningful internship experience.
Our application window is open from 11th September - 4th October 2023. Whether you submit early on, or on the very last day of the window, every application will be considered equally. There is no benefit to rushing your application and submitting it on the first day! We encourage all candidates to use the application period effectively, but we advise you to be mindful of technical challenges if you’re cutting it close to the deadline!
Our applications are open for over 3 weeks, it is therefore your responsibility to be able to make deadlines; our application dates are not flexible.
If you have applied close to the end of the application window, and encounter technical issues, we will not be able to make allowances for this.
If you have any queries about the questions or require application support, you can reach out to your university’s careers service or check their online resources.
Brand Ambassadors (students who have been a Saltire Scholar in a previous cycle) can also help. You can find Scholars' Blogs on our website and you may be able to connect with a BA on LinkedIn.
All unsuccessful candidates are provided with a list of feedback points in their application outcome email.
If you email us to request further specific feedback we will endeavour to provide this, however please note that our reply may be significantly delayed due to the volume of emails that we receive at this time of year.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive in our initial process, there will not be a second round.
Once the short-listing of applications has been completed by the Scholar Team, all candidates who have been selected for an Assessment Centre will be notified.
You will then be responsible for booking your assessment centre time slot from a range of appointments available.
Assessment Centres will take place from 30th October - 22nd November and will be held in various locations across Scotland.
There will also be a small number of virtual Assessment Centre appointments available.
In the unlikely event that you still cannot find a suitable slot to book, we may be able to make alternative arrangements with you. However, we must see evidence that you are not able to attend the regular slots (i.e. evidence of university resits, medical appointments).
These are professional assessment centres, therefore dress appropriately as you would for a job interview. First impressions are always important.
Internship opportunities for the 2024 programme will be advertised on a rolling basis from January 2024 through to mid-May 2024.
These opportunities will be advertised on our online careers site which is exclusively available to those in the Candidate Pool to view.
No. Although this is our final application stage, this is still a highly competitive internship programme. Roughly 1 in 3 people within our candidate pool will secure an Internship.
All candidates will be sent a link to complete an online psychometric test prior to any internship roles being advertised. This test has been tailored specifically for the Saltire Scholar Programme and the results of it will be used to assist the Scholar Team in shortlisting candidates for Host Company interviews, based on whether their skills and personality align with the Host Company job description.
Please contact the Saltire Scholar team beforebeginning the test to let us know of any additional requirements that you have, eg extra time etc. Email saltire.scholars@entrepreneurialscotland.com to let us know as soon as possible.
Please upload your Cover Letter in Word or PDF format only.
If in any doubt, you should address your cover letters to ‘Dear Recruitment Manager'.
Cover letters must be kept to a maximum of 400 words.
CVs should be no more than two pages in length.
No, they are not included in the word count.
Please upload your Cover Letter in Word or PDF format only.
Yes, you can still apply, however it is unlikely you will be shortlisted as you are unable to meet the essential requirements for this particular Internship.
If a driver is specified, then it is because the Host Company has identified this as a skill that is crucial to the success of the Internship or the company is located in an area with no public transport links.
There are various reasons that a Host Company may place an age limit on an internship role.
For example, in the USA you must be at least 21 to work for a Company that has any links to alcohol.
If your internship has car hire as an essential requirement, perhaps due to the remote location of the Host Company premises, you must be over 21 before we can hire a car for you.
If you are 20 at the time of application, but turn 21 prior to the internship start date then you can apply for the role.
No, it is your responsibility to make sure you meet deadlines.
You must upload your CV and Cover Letter in PDF or Word format only. Other formats cannot be opened by the Scholar Team and this may lead to you missing the deadline. This is a highly competitive internship programme and applications submitted in the wrong format will not be considered.
You can apply for as many roles as you want.
Please bear in mind the skills and qualities that each internship role requires and ensure that you tailor your cover letter specifically for each role.
For each application that is not successful in being put forward for an interview with a host company, you will receive an email notification from us. This email will contain some generic feedback points so that you can improve any future internship applications.
Due to the volume of applications that we receive for internship roles, we are unable to provide written, individual feedback at this stage of the process.
The Saltire Scholar Programme team will host weekly surgeries during the Application window (Jan-May '24) where applicants may speak to a member of the team to gain specific application feedback.
Firstly, find out who your university Brand Ambassadors are, you can reach out on LinkedIn.
If you still haven’t managed to get in touch with any, then email the Scholar Team to let us know what you are looking for.
The host company will reach out to you to organise the interview.
The format varies depending on the company. For example, it may be in-person, over the phone or through Teams or Zoom. If you cannot attend the interview on the date proposed by the company, then it is up to you to take ownership and responsibility for rearranging.
Be mindful and realistic of the opportunity you are being offered and always endeavour to be flexible with your schedule, where possible. You should also be aware of time difference and expect the interview schedule to be held on the host companies time zone.
No. Please be aware of any financial costs that may occur with international telephone or conference calls or travelling to an in-person interview.
If you are facing challenging in travelling to your interview in person, e.g. financial concerns, please reach out to the Saltire Schlolar Programme team and we will do our best to assist you.
Once it has been two weeks please contact the Scholar Team to let them know of the delay and we will chase up the company on your behalf. Please do not contact the Host Company directly regarding this.
Some companies like to receive a thank you message post interview. We are happy for you to do this; however, you are not permitted to ask them when you will hear an outcome or enquire about further employment/volunteering opportunities.
The company will inform the Scholar Team of their decision and all interview outcomes will be communicated via the Scholar Team.
No. If you are offered an internship you have 24 hours to decide whether you wish to accept this role or not.
If you do accept it, you will confirm your Saltire Scholar Internship in writing and no further internship projects will be shared with you.
If you decline it, you will go back into the candidate pool and you can apply for more Internships that we advertise. However the Candidate Pool is extremely competitive and there is no guarantee that you will be shortlisted for any roles that you apply for at a later date.
Interns who remain in the UK are responsible for organising their own accommodation (there are exceptions to this and this will be highlighted at the time of advertising the Internship opportunity). Here are our tips for sourcing a place to stay near to your host company location, if you don’t already have somewhere in mind:
Your Internship will have agreed start and end dates. Travel is usually booked for the Saturday before your Internship starts to the Saturday after your last day. You cannot fly earlier than your given departure date. Scholars can elect to stay on and explore their host country after completing their Internships, returning later than the standard given departure date.
If this is something you are considering, you should ensure that you discuss this with the Scholar Team before we book your return flights.
Any additional costs associated with staying in-country beyond your internship will be yours to cover.
All flights are booked through our trusted travel partner and we know that the best possible flight option will be chosen for you.
You cannot pick what airline you fly with. All students have standard hold luggage included which is set by the airline.
You may elect to take additional luggage with you but you will have to cover the costs of this. Please discuss this with the Scholar Team prior to us booking your return flights.
This is due to the visa application process for many of the locations within which we work.
If you secure an Internship that requires a Visa then the process is often fast-paced and can have deadlines.
The Visa process for certain countries requires you to attend their Embassy in person for an interview. You need to be organised and available to attend your visa appointment at short notice.
If your host company have to withdraw your Internship position after you have accepted it, you will re-enter the candidate pool and can continue to apply for other Internship positions which are of interest to you.
Other than in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic meant the cancellation of several placements, this does not happen very often.
Yes, you can contact the company to express your gratitude at being offered the role. Please refrain from asking them practical questions regarding your Internship as they will get in contact with these details ahead of your start date. You can also ask previous Scholars any of these questions.
It is compulsory that you attend an onboarding call with a member of the Saltire Scholar Team so that important information about your Internship can be discussed with you.
The Scholar team want to ensure you are informed and well-equipped before starting your Internship, therefore the call is an opportunity for you to ask any questions and go over details you don’t understand. It is also an opportunity for us to share specific information relating to the country you will be an intern in.
Scholars who attend onboarding calls promptly are better equipped to move through the logistical planning stages of their internship, hence why this call is mandatory.
Any holidays or time off must be approved by your line manager at your host company after they have offered you an internship. Scholars are advised that approval of holidays is at the discretion of their line manager and that there is no guarantee these will be approved.
If you plan to undertake an internship on our programme, we advise that you do not make any holiday plans as you may not be granted leave on these specific dates. If you have a summer holiday planned it is unlikely you will be granted this time off.
Should you be a final year student, and you are Graduating during your internship, we will gladly speak to the Company on your behalf to ensure that you can have this essential time off. We have never encountered an issue in this area and Hosts are very accommodating of this special event.
Yes, you can. If you wish to do this, you must contact us with the specific information and we will obtain a quote from our travel agent directly. It will be your responsibility to cover any additional fees and you will pay these directly to the travel agent by bank transfer.