The English Corner your placement agency for a real experience abroad

Each year hundreds of young people are willing to undertake an internship in Britain or Ireland to gain work experience and experience a different culture

What type of programmes do we offer?

The mission of The English Corner is to promote learning through practical experience – this falls under several names such as Unpaid Work Experience, Internship, Stage, Training Period, etc. All are basically the same type of programme and The English Corner strives to bring foreign applicants to Ireland and Britain offering a transparent and honest service.

In which sectors are placements available?

Most professional office based placements are available in a broad range of sectors, these include:

• Sales & Marketing
• Hospitality
• Office Administration
• Finance / Accounting / Insurance
• Human Resources & Recruitment
• Computers / IT / Webdesign / Digital Media
• Social Services
• Logistics
• Architecture
• Tourism
• Nature (Animal Welfare)
• Childcare (subject to qualifications & police clearance)
• PR / Communications
• Theatre / Film
• Photography
• …and many more!

How long does it take to source a placement?

Depending on the availability of any particular sector – combined with the the education, experience, English level of the applicant, and duration of the stay, the amount of time required to source a placement can be anything from several days to several weeks! We do ask that as much advance notice is given to ensure a complete search is made.

What is the minimum & maximum age limit for applicants?

The minimum age is 18 years old and there is no maximum age for doing an internship! The minimum age can be flexible provided written permission is granted by a parent of guardian allowing the applicant to embark on such an independent programme.

What if we fail to find a placement?

We do aim to place 100% of applicants. If a placement cannot be sourced then this difficulty will be advised in advance and alternative options will be recommended.

Can any sector be chosen and guaranteed?

Unfortunately it is not always possible to guarantee the first choice of placement… this can be for many reasons as mentioned in ‘question 3. It is adviseable that applicants make three sector choices in order of preference. If the first choice is not available the second, and then third options will be attempted. It is very important that applicants are aware of their choices and willing to accept any of the three with the knowledge that the order of their preference has been respected and may or may not have been possible. Choices listed for preference number two/three should not be listed with the idea that these are not realistic options for the placement.

Is any payment offered to applicants by host companies?

Only for placements of 6 months +. For a duration below 6 months there is no employer’s contribution. For a duration of 6 months + you can rely on a contribution of around £120/ week for the Uk and approximately 120€ in Ireland depending on the employer’s good wil .

What type of accommodation is available?

We are only in a position to offer Host Family accommodation at this stage. The availability of short-term apartments (less than 6 months) is scarce and because of other restrictions such as contracts, security deposits, variable costs such as utilities, etc… it is not possible to offer a ‘regulated’ price for such accommodation. Host Family accommodation can be regulated by including utility bills, meals, laundry, etc and it is the cheapest accommodation you can possibly get in the UK or Ireland

In Great Britain, you must plan to pay approximately £100/ £110 per week for accommodation (Half board) and in Ireland 110€ to 150€ is the common price rate for half board accommodation.

Welcome to Dublin

What happens if an applicant is asked to leave their placement?

This is quite a serious situation as Host Companies are normally quite flexible with applicants. To be fired from a job which is unpaid must be a result of misconduct and an investigation will be required before another placement is sought.

What happens if an applicant wants to quit their placement?

Firstly a reason will be sought and the correct procedure to resolve the situation will be followed. This involves the applicant firstly raising the issue with their supervisor, if this yields no positive result then InternNational Ireland will attempt to resolve the situation, finally if no positive conclusion is made then another placement will be sought. Please remember that reasons for quitting a placement should be valid – if for example an applicant’s expectations are greater than their ability to perform certain tasks, then this will be advised to the applicant and options for a solution will be provided.

Do we provide support or monitoring?

Yes, on various levels such as a 24-hour emergency contact service for issues outside normal office hours and which cannot wait to be resolved by the next working day. If the applicants have any difficulties during their stay they can contact our coordinator by e-mail or phone for support.

In Ireland, periodically, the placement will be monitored to ensure both the applicant and the host company are satisfied. In the future during busier times, there will also be regular meetings held on a bi-monthly basis in a central location in Dublin yet to be decided. These meetings will offer a ‘walk-in’ service for applicants if they have any issues or queries. or simply if they want to chat! We will also endeavour to ensure no individual applicant will feel isolated and will offer to put them in contact with other interns in Dublin at the same time.

What about certification/validation of the placement?

It is normal that an applicant can request a ‘Reference Letter’ from their company or from The English Corner, please do not hesitate to ask!

What is the minimum & maximum duration/stay?

The minimum duration is 4 weeks and the maximum is unlimited! A longer stay is more attractive for Host Companies and can allow the applicant to gain more responsibility over the duration of the placement. Shorter stays may be possible by special request at certain ‘quiet’ times of the year.

Are any sectors ‘impossible’?

Any sector where there is a high risk of injury or a greater risk to the Health & Safety of an applicant are normally not available. In addition, sectors which require a higher level of security such as banks, airports, etc are also extremely difficult to attain.

Can we provide language courses?

Absolutely, we can advise you once the placement has been confirmed so that you can book a course.

What other services are available?

We help you with visa and entry procedures in the UK and Ireland.

Why should I choose The English Corner rather than any over another agency?

Past experience has allowed us to gain the knowledge required to make the best decisions on which applicants will best suit particular companies based on skills and ability. The service you receive will be efficient and always communicative and InternNational Ireland will constantly self-evaluate the service on offer in order to continue to provide a high quality service. Your comments and feedback will also provide a valuable resource towards expanding internships in Ireland.

What time of year is best to make a booking?

Winter time is traditionally the most quiet period and summer is the busiest. However internships are available all year round and we make the best efforts possible to ensure we maintain enough contact with host companies to fit with the high demand for placements during the busier periods.

What is the minimum level of English required?

The minimum recommended level of English you should have is ‘intermediate’ or a minimum of level ‘A2′ using the European Self Assessment Grid – meaning you should be able to communicate without difficulty through English on various familiar/everyday situations. Having a lower level than this will make it difficult for you to understand what is going on in your host company and therefore no benefit will come from taking up an internship as there will be no basic communication ability upon which to improve while based in a busy work environment.

To apply you need :

• To fill in the application form
• to be able to pay a return flight ticket to your destination
• To apply 3 months before start date if you need to obtain a visa
• to enclose a medical certificate specifying you are fit to work abroad, please translate it into English or French
• to enclose a CV in English
• to enclose a cover letter describing your motivation and skills / education
• Any references that you might find useful
• Registration fee and placement fee

Our fees include:

• prospecting
• phoning
• mailing
• advertising
• negotiating internship work conditions
• coordinator’s and agency’s support
• administration fees

How to pay

• either by bank transfer to our account (please ask for our bank details)
• or euro cheque
• or by International Postal order (dont forget to enclose with your application the voucher for our attention)
• or by foreign cheque (please add up 20€ for bank fees as they charge us for processing foreign cheques). Please make sure exchange rate is accurate and totalise the correct placement fee and registration fee.

Cancelation and refund policy

• The flight / travel tickets are your own responsibility and are not included in the fees. We are happy to help you with organising your trip over to the Uk and Ireland and advise you of the best rates.
• The registration fee is not refundable
• The bank fee if applicable is not refundable.
• Full placement fee (+ accommodation finder fee or accommodation costs for Ireland if applicable) is fully refundable if you cancel your placement before an internship has been confirmed.
• If an internship has been confirmed and you cancel within 4 weeks of departure at the latest then no fee is refunded, whatever the reason
• If we fail in placing you all placement fee is refunded (+ accommodation costs or finder fee if applicable)
• If a company cancels the internship full placement fee is refunded unless we can find you a new internship instead
• No refund is possible if you plan to getting back home earlier than end date of internship.