Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Categoría: Graduate European Programme

  • APPLICATION PERIOD FOR GEP 2013/2014 NOW OPEN

    We are delighted to present the XV edition of our Graduate European Programme, a graduate work placement programme that has been successfully running since 1990. The application period for candidates interested in doing a 6-month internship in London-based companies opened on Monday 15th April and will close on Friday 14th June.

    The Graduate European Programme offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London at the same time as they attend Business English classes and workshops  at Regent’s Universtity London. The programme is mainly aimed at graduates with a background in Business, Economics or Marketing  -as these are the most requested profiles by participating companies.

    Further information about the programme can be found in our website in the Graduate European Programme section under the Career Services menu. Likewise prospective candidates will find helpful the section dedicated to frequently asked questions and the Terms and conditions for candidates 2013/2014.

    Companies are also welcome to participate by offering 6-month placements for candidates. Those companies  interested in hosting an intern can find more information about the programme by visiting the following section of our website GEP – Information for companies.

    Why not have a look at previous posts about the Programme to see what our graduates have done in the last edition?

  • GEP Farewell Ceremony

    This week the  XIV Edition of our Graduate European Programme came to an end. The aim of the programme, which has run from September 2012 until March 2013,  is to provide university graduates with a 6-month work placement at a London-based company.

    The 14 talented graduates who have taken place in this edition, after having successfully passed the selection process, have been given the opportunity to develop new professional skills at an international level whilst acquiring a broader understanding of how companies operate in one of the world’s most competitive global markets.

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    Some of the participants of the XIV Edition of the GEP at Regents’ College during the farewell ceremony.

    The farewell ceremony took place on Tuesday 19th March at Regent’s College, where the participants attended Business English lessons and workshops throughout the length of the programme.  This academic side of the programme, conducted by Internexus English Language School at Regents’ College,  enabled participants to improve their language skills and learn about different business-related topics they could later apply to their day-to-day professional lives. Our graduates have  enjoyed this experience throughout as the English course has also helped them prepare for the University of Cambridge BEC Exam, which they took recently.

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    Steve Phillips, Director of Internexus, and Cristina Carmona, GEP Co-ordinator at the Spanish Chamber, wished participants the best of luck with their future career projects.

    The event gathered  representatives of Internexus and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, who awarded  participants a diploma after succesful completion of the programme. During the speeches Steve Phillips, Director of Internexus, went on to talk about the importance of harnessing language skills to succeed professionally. On behalf of the Spanish Chamber  Cristina Carmona,  Co-ordinator of the Graduate European Programme, commented on how this experience has been positively live-changing for many past participants and hoped it would also be for those taking part in this edition.

    In fact, from day one participants were excited about this chance to start a promising placement in the vibrant city of London, where they have found support from their hosting companies. As Elena Enríquez, one of the participants from this edition, says “it has been a challenging and rewarding experience that has helped us build the skills and capabilities we need to work in the demanding environment of international businesses”.

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    Some of our proud GEP participants showing the certificates they received upon completition of the programme.

    We would like to thank the hosting companies that have taken part in this edition, providing a unique opportunity for talented graduates to carry out work experience in the ever-competitive London market. We would also like to  encourage more London-based companies to take part in upcoming editions and  discover the benefits of hosting an intern through our programme.

    Full details of the XV Edition of the Graduate European Progamme will be available on our website from mid April 2013. In the meantime you can browse the Career Services section on our website where further information is available for candidates and companies.

  • Afternoon Talk on the Life of an International Journalist – The GEP Continues

    The induction events for this years’ GEP (Graduate European Programme) continued this week, with a thoroughly engaging talk by renowned TVE & RNE correspondents Ms. Anna Bosch & Mr. Íñigo Picabea on the experiences of life as international journalists. The event was held once again at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises on Wigmore Street, and played host to over an hour of intrigue for our young GEP participants.

    The different culture of news from country to country was the first point to be highlighted in the talk; the differences of which are further intensified in particular cities, such as London and Washington, which have their own micro-cultures. From this insight, Ms. Bosch, who has extensive experience working in both of these great cities, reminded the room that there are also distinct differences in producing news for either domestic or international consumption – the way in which information is then transformed and packaged for its relevant audience.

    As a journalist, she said, you are bombarded with information. In one example of her time in Washington D.C., she recalled a time in 2006 when she had to immediately drop all of her plans upon hearing reports of Fidel Castro’s death. As it turns out, he was just taken unwell, but the frenzy of media speculation was intense.

    Freedom of, and access to information was also another important point. The processes of collecting reliable data from sources in liberal cities like London, differs hugely to the ability to do the same in say, either Moscow or Caracas. These perceptions provided great food for thought for our attending GEP participants, with questions being posed throughout the talk.

    One poignant departing thought was left with the audience at the end of the session, with the idea of the consequences of modern news consumption carrying with it certain dangers. With the advent of countless dispensers of news on the internet and social media, conveyed through varied biases and on focusing on specific topics, an important question needs to be asked: Are we are creating our own world of news by only accessing that we which we want, and forgetting the wider importance of everything else? Perhaps the high level of personal tailoring of how each of us receives news could carry with it the consequence of making us more ignorant, rather than the contrary.

    These important issues were a great source of interest for our attendees, and we extend our thanks to our speakers for their time.

  • The Graduate European Programme – Induction Week

    This year’s intake from the Chambers’ GEP (Graduate European Programme) enjoyed their first day of professional London life, as they attended their induction seminar at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises on Wigmore Street. These young, aspiring, and sharply dressed recent-graduates were keen to take in the practical information that their six month stay in Britain’s capital city would entail, and also enjoyed hearing the personal advice provided by a participant of the programme from last year, who has since been offered a full-time role in the company that she was interning with.

    Cristina Carmona, the Programme Coordinator, on the left and Rosa del Campo on the right.

    During their induction experience, the Chambers’ Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rosa del Campo, and our Events Officer and Coordinator of the GEP, Ms. Cristina Carmona Aliaga, provided practical advice to the participating graduates on the upcoming interviews which they will be facing throughout this week. These interviews will determine which companies and sectors our participants will be placed in, and is an important part of the process of cultivating a positive professional attitude in this ever increasingly competitive world.

    After a short break, Rosa introduced Mr. Antoni Riera of the International Credit Management company Advantium, which has previously been involved within the programme, as well as to Ms. Marta Sala, who was a participant in the GEP last year and who proceeded to be offered a permanent position at Advantium, member of the Chamber, after her six month placement with the company was complete.

    Rosa del Campo, Deputy Secretary General of the Chamber, and Antoni Riera from Advantium.

    Mr. Riera spoke of the importance of “connecting the dots” of a broad range of professional experiences and of networking, in his advice to the young attendees. Marta went on to talk about her personal experience of the programme, and poignantly said that throughout the next six months; “you can be a rock, or you can be a sponge”, in reference to the variety of opportunities available in learning new and constructive things.

    We will be closely following the progress of this year’s participants, and we wish them all the best in making the most of this unique experience.

  • The Secretary General presents the ‘Graduate European Programme’

    The XIV Edition of The Graduate European Programme was officially presented and launched on April the 16th at Universitat Abat Oliva CEU in Barcelona. The Secretary General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Silvia Estivill, was there to introduce the programme and it’s main aims to the students that attended the presentation.

    Silvia explained the facts and key points that have inspired and guided this succesful project that the Spanish Chamber has been organising for many years offering work experience to graduates in Business Administration, Economics and Marketing studies. The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain launched this project with the following ideas in mind:

    – Awareness of the challenges facing European professionals today
    – Staying in line with the policies developed by the European Union; to promote the mobility of professionals and to improve training programmes including the learning of European languages
    – Recognition of the increased demand from graduates wishing to complete their professional training process in the United Kingdom
    – And, finally, comprehension of the current difficulties in finding positions in employment

    The application period is now open both for graduates and hosting companies that would like to join the programme. Further information about the content of the programme,  profile of the candidates, application form, dates & fees are available online on the official website: Graduate European Programme

    *If you have taken part as a hosting company or as a participant in some of the past editions of the Graduate European Programme, we would be pleased to have your testimonial on your experience posted in our blog.

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