Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: Graduate European Programme

THE XVII EDITION OF THE GRADUATE EUROPEAN PROGRAMME – INDUCTION WEEK

On Monday 14th September, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new edition of the Graduate European Programme. The programme offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London at the same time as they attend different workshops. The programme, which this year has 12 participants, started with an Induction Week which included several talks and visits to institutions.

The Secretary General Mr. Igor Urra, along with Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of Corporate Relations and Communication and Co-ordinator of the Programme, welcomed the group on Monday 14th September at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises. After the encouragement words from the Secretary General, who urged candidates to make the most of this opportunity, Cristina Carmona delivered a session aimed at helping candidates to succeed at the interviews they would be facing later in the week. The session also provided participants with useful tips to write a CV and to face a personal interview.

Ms. Cristina Carmona and Ms. Rosa del Campo during their talk to the participants.

Following a break, participants had the opportunity to meet Ms. Rosa Del Campo, Commercial Relationships Manager at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), who explained the role of the UKTI and how they support overseas companies to land in the UK, but also how they help UK-based companies to enter new markets. The session concluded with an overview of those countries with a significant foreign investment presence in the UK, and provided examples on how Spanish companies have increased their internationalisation plans in recent years.

Later that day, three former participants of the Graduate European Programme visited the premises of the Chamber. Ms. Sandra Del Campo, Ms. Carmen Villanueva and Ms. Sofía Marcoartu shared their experience with the attendees and explained how taking part in this programme eventually led them both to find a job in London. They encouraged this year’s participants to make the most of the work experience. The talk concluded with a round of questions about life in London, hints to do well at the interviews and the differences between work routines in Spain and UK.

From left to right Ms. Cristina Carmona, Ms. Sandra del Campo, Ms. Sofía Marcoartu and Ms. Carmen Villanueva, as they explained their experience as former participants.

Before starting the interviews phase, on Tuesday 15th September the induction week followed with a visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, where participants were welcomed by Mr. Juan López-Herrera, the Minister Counsellor. He provided this year’s candidates with an overview of the main areas of work of the Embassy in the country and why the diplomatic service is important. To conclude the visit, the participants had some time to make a few questions to Mr. Juan López-Herrera.

Mr. Juan López-Herrera with the GEP participants after the talk at the Embassy.

Later on the afternoon, the participants had the chance to meet two top journalists, Roberto Casado from Expansion and Jordi Barcia from RNE. They went on to offer an overview of the life of a foreign press correspondent, the way they work and the main advantages and inconveniences of being a correspondent. At the end of their talks and after the Q&A, Mr. Barcia showed the participants his portable radio-set and explained them how he works when he is not in his studio.

From left to right, Jordi Barcia, Cristina Carmona and Roberto Casado.

Next on the agenda, on Friday 18^th was a visit to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where the participants where kindly welcomed by Mr. Antonio Oporto, Board Director for Spain and Mexico. Mr. Antonio Oporto started by explaining participants the historic context where the Bank was created so they could better understand its scope of action. He went on to share his insights on how current affairs can have an impact on the work of the EBRD, especially in regard to new countries where the bank operates. A very interactive Q&A followed the session where participants were able to learn more about specific areas of interest for the bank.

Mr. Antonio Oporto with the GEP participants during the talk at the EBRD.

We would like to thank all the speakers for the different sessions of the Induction Week and the institutions that kindly welcomed the participants of the XVII of our Graduate European Programme. We will be following their progress in London and encourage them to make the most of this unique experience.

25/09/2015
THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE GEP 2015/2016 IS NOW OPEN

As every year by this time, we are delighted to present the new 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 11th May and will close on Friday 26th June.

This is the XVII edition of the Graduate European Programme that offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London at the same time as they attend monthly talks and visits, as well as selected events organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in GB. 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 2015/2016.

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?

14/05/2015
GEP FAREWELL CEREMONY 2014-2015

On Wednesday 18^th March the XVI Edition of our Graduate European Programme came to an end. The aim of the programme, which has run from September 2014 until March 2015, is to provide university graduates with a 6-month work placement at a London-based company.

The 16 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.

Josef Mueller and Igor Urra wished participants the best of luck with their future career projects.

The farewell ceremony took place at Regent’s University London, where the participants attended Business English lessons and workshops throughout the length of the programme. This academic side of the programme, conducted by Regent’s Institute of Languages and Culture, 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.

The event gathered representatives of Regent’s Institute of Languages and Culture, and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, who awarded participants a diploma after successful completion of the programme. During the speeches Josef Mueller, Director of Regent’s Institute of Languages and Culture, went on to wish all the students the best of luck in their future careers.

On behalf of the Spanish Chamber, Cristina Carmona, coordinator of the Graduate European Programme, and Igor Urra, the Secretary General of the Spanish Chamber, attended the ceremony. Igor commented on how this experience has been positively life-changing for many past participants and hoped it would also be for those taking part in this edition.

The participants of the XVI Edition of the GEP, with their teachers and the Chamber team, at Regent’s University during the farewell ceremony.

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 XVII Edition of the Graduate European Progamme will be available on our website from the end of April 2015. In the meantime you can browse the Career Services section within our website, where further information is available for candidates and companies.

20/03/2015
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As Santa is soon coming to town, we wanted to say goodbye to this intense and rewarding year and extend our best wishes for 2015 to you.

And what better way to do it than celebrating with style our Informal Christmas Party next Tuesday 9^th December? If you have not registered yet, then hurry up as places are running out fast! Mahiki will host this for the consecutive second year. This last event of 2014, offering to our cold and rainy London’s winter a warm and cheerful Hawaiian twist. It will be a second to none opportunity to say goodbye to fellow members and colleagues until next year. So if you want to join us, hurry up and book it now here!!

But now, before closing down this exciting year, it is time to look back at some of the activities and events we have organised throughout. Rightly, at the top of our list, we find the recent VI Annual Gala Dinner, that took place on 27^th November. It was a resounding successful, as around 230 fellow members gathered under the presiding of H.E. The Ambassador of Spain and Mr. César Alierta, Executive Chairman and CEO of Telefónica, as our Guest of Honour.

Members of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Chamber with our Guest of Honour, Mr. César Alierta, at our VI Annual Gala Dinner

At the beginning of the year and as a brand new initiative, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce launched officially on 31^st January the first meeting of the Financial Forum at the Spanish Embassy. Its main function is to bring Spanish professionals from the City together and provide them with a platform to promote dialogue, share best practices within the financial sector and exchange ideas about the current economic and financial context. This gathering was followed by two others in May and July, the last one being held at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

In April, we held the Annual Golden Award, which was hosted at the Spanish Embassy in London. This event rewards a Spanish company for its outstanding performance during the previous year in the UK, and the distinction in this edition went to Aena Aeropuertos.

Furthermore, we would like to highlight that the 127^th edition of our Annual General Meeting took place in June followed by a unique lunch held at one of London’s most iconic landmarks: The House of Lords, within the Palace of Westminster. The event was kindly hosted by Lord Brennan, QC, and had also the pleasure to count on Lord Bell, Chairman of Bell Pottinger, as our Guest of Honour for this special occasion.

Lord Brennan, in our Annual General Meeting hosted at the House of Lords

In addition to the above, the Spanish Chamber has also developed a wide range of activities, including seminars, networking events and informal parties, such as the International Wine Tasting Event, the Elevator’s Pitch, a popular speed networking activity, Halloween Informal Party, to name just a few.

Moreover, the Patrons’ Club has offered five exclusive activities for our Patrons in 2014, which have included the traditional annual dinner at the restaurant Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, a tour “Behind the scenes” at London City Airport and an exquisite Tasting at the New Pantry at The Marylebone Hotel in collaboration with The Doyle Collection, just to mention some of them.

Visit to the London City Airport and Dinner at the restaurant Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, two of the activities of the Patrons’ Club

On the other hand, in September, the XVI Edition of our Graduate European Programme kicked off. This year 16 participants will be carrying out work-experience at London based companies for 6 months. The programme includes Business English classes and workshops at Regent’s University London to complement the participants’ work experience.

Last but not least, our Trade and Business Development Department has kept busy and delivered several commercial agendas and trade missions. Among them, we would like to highlight the work we did in cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce of Madrid and Teruel, consisting of trade missions aimed at helping several companies from those regions to enter the British market.

Additionally, our General Secretary, Igor Urra, travelled to Girona participating in a gathering between companies from different sectors and the Chamber of Commerce. The aim was to advise and inform these companies interested in entering the UK market about the different commercial services the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain could offer them to support them in the process. Our advice was warmly welcomed as this gathering resulted in the development of trade missions with some of these companies.

It is also worth mentioning, the first edition of “A Coruña Exporpymes”, a trade fair organised in October by La Coruña Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Spanish Chamber. It was a perfect occasion for Galician producers to present their products/ services from different sectors such as food, wine, jewellery and construction, among others, to British companies.

Our Secretary General, Igor Urra, in A Coruña Exporpymes, one of the trade missions we organised this year

Moreover, the department has successfully developed a new service: Commercial Presentations. This is a similar service to commercial agendas, but with a less commercial focus, aimed at increasing the awareness of the company with potential contacts. The commercial presentation service is especially suitable for companies that work in a mature sector. It consists of the delivery of a market proxy, identifying and introducing the products of the client company to suitable contacts. In case potential partners show interest in the products, we would support with the information management and even organise a meeting between both parties.

There is also cause for celebrating the introduction of a new membership category, the Benefactors, especially suitable for larger SME’s and companies who want to take their membership one step further and get a taste of our exclusive advantages for Patrons. At this moment, this intermediate level of membership is available exclusively by invitation to existing corporate members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

We are very grateful to our members for their continuous support across all the different activities we have carried out this year, and for the ones to come in 2015. Special thanks as well to all those companies who have shown interest in our events and have participated in some of them over the past 12 months.

So, to put it in a nutshell, we can only make our farewells by wishing you “Merry Christmas and Happy 2015!”, a year that will come full of surprises and interesting activities. So, be prepared!

02/12/2014
THE XVI EDITION OF THE GRADUATE EUROPEAN PROGRAMME – INDUCTION WEEK

On Monday 15th September, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new edition of the Graduate European Programme. The 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 University London. The programme, which this year has 16 participants, started with an Induction week which included several talks and a visit to a company member of the Spanish Chamber. The Secretary General Mr. Igor Urra, along with Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of Corporate Relations and Communication and Co-ordinator of the Programme, welcomed the group on Monday 15th September at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises. After the encouragement words from the Secretary General, who urged candidates to make the most of this opportunity, Cristina Carmona delivered a session aimed at helping candidates to succeed at the interviews they would be facing later in the week. The session also provided participants with useful tips to write a CV and Cover Letter.

Ms. Cristina Carmona and Ms. Rosa del Campo during her talk to the participants

Following a break, participants had the opportunity to meet Ms. Rosa Del Campo, Commercial Relationships Manager at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), who explained the role of the UKTI and how they support overseas companies to land in the UK, but also how they help UK-based companies to enter new markets. The session concluded with an overview of those countries with a significant foreign investment presence in the UK, and provided examples on how Spanish companies have increased their internationalisation plans in recent years. Later that day, two former participants of the Graduate European Programme visited the premises of the Chamber. Ms. Sandra Del Campo and Ms. Carlota Sánchez shared their experience with the attendees and explained how taking part in this programme eventually led them both to find a job in London. Sandra and Carlota encouraged this year’s participants to make the most of the English classes and especially of the work experience. The talk concluded with a round of questions about life in London, hints to do well at the interviews and the differences between work routines in Spain and UK.

From left to the right Ms. Cristina Carmona, Ms. Sandra del Campo and Ms. Carlota Sánchez, as the expleined their experience as former participants.

Before starting the interviews phase, on Tuesday 16th September the induction week followed with a visit to Regent’s University London , Patron of the Spanish Chamber, where participants will be attending the Business English classes and workshops. Mr. Josef Mueller, new Associate Director of the Regent’s Institute of Languages and Culture, welcomed the participants on behalf of the University. Afterwards, the candidates had the opportunity to take a tour around the building to visit the different facilities for study and entertainment.

Mr. Josef Mueller, new Associate Director of the Regent’s Institute of Languages and Culture during the informative session at Regent’s University.

Next on the agenda was a visit to Ebury, a foreign exchange company of Spanish origin but headquartered in London, and one of the members of the Chamber. Mr. Fernando Cid, Head of the Spanish Desk and Mr. Joan Bonilla welcomed the attendees and provided them with an overview of the currency market, how it works and why it is important for companies to bear in mind foreign exchange rates when doing business abroad. They offered several examples of how Ebury had worked together with clients on large-scale projects and provided solutions tailored to their needs.

The participants of the XVI Edition of the GEP during their visit at Ebury Partners premises.

We would like to thank all the speakers for the different sessions they helped us organise and the companies that kindly collaborated with us during this week. We will be following the progress of this year’s participants and encourage them to make the most of this unique experience.

13/10/2014
A New Edition of the “Two Weeks Programme” in London

On Friday 25th July the Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative session as part of a programme named “The Two Weeks”, which is jointly organised by the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the Valencia University.

This is the third year in a row in which the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain takes part in this exciting initiative. The delegation who came to London was led by Mr. Antonio Reig, Prof. Dr. Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and coordinator of the programme.

The “Two Weeks Programme”takes place once a year and it gives 20 students from the above universities the opportunity to travel to London for a 2-week stay to come into contact with an international job market. During the programme the participants attend a course about recruitment processes and visit prestigious companies from different industries related to their field of studies, such as Energy, IT, Industrial Production, Technical Consultancy, Financial Engineering, Construction and Real Estate.

From left to right: Mr. Antonio Reig, Ms. Cristina Carmona and Ms. Berta Ferrer during the informative session.

The session hosted at the Spanish Chamber provided further information about the role of the institution, the opportunities available in the UK for young graduates and, for the first time, introduced a success story of a Spanish entrepreneur in London.

To start off, Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of Corporate Relations and Communication, welcomed the participants on behalf of tour institution and spoke about the main services provided by the Chamber and the activities we organise throughout the year. Among these, she focused on The Graduate European Programme, which shares similar goals with ‘The Two Weeks Programme’. This topic proved of special interest for the students, who took the opportunity to enquire further about it.

The next speaker was Ms. Sofía Vázquez, CEO of Mundialengua, a company specialised in finding internships and placements for graduates. She gave the students some useful tips for interviews and selection processes, and highlighted the importance of making a first good impression.

Ms. Sofia Vázquez with Mr. Antonio Reig after the end of the session.

She also mentioned other things to take into consideration such as the need to be flexible in a competitive and demanding market. She also encouraged attendees to look for internships, as in her own words “it is a really good way to explore the market and to learn; even when it is not paid you may get an opportunity to stay afterwards.”

Afterwards, Mr. Antonio Reig introduced Berta Ferrer, a participant from last year´s program, who is currently working and studying in London. Berta commented on her personal experience and shared some useful tips with attendees.

Finally it was the turn of Ms Paloma Tomas, founder of DotComRepublic, who talked about her experience as an entrepreneur in the UK. Paloma explained the concept of digital marketing and provided students with real examples on how it applies to companies.

Ms. Paloma Tomás (left) founder of DotComRepublic during her talk.

Our Secretary General, Igor Urra closed the informative session and received a commemorative plaque from Mr. Antonio Reig as a memory of this third collaboration between our institution and the participants of the “Two Weeks Programme”.

Our Secretary Genral, Igor Urra was handed a commemorative plate to mark this thrid colaboration with “Two Weeks Programme”.

We would like to thank all the speakers of this informative session as well as the students who have taken part this year in the “Two Weeks Programme” for their interest and involvement.

30/07/2014
THE “TWO WEEKS” PROGRAMME IN LONDON

The students were very attentive during all the session

After the success of the last year, we were glad to host and take part in “The Two Weeks”, a programme organised by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, counting on 20 students on their final year. This programme takes place once a year and it aims to give students the opportunity to approach the international job market providing them tips and advice on how to look for a job in a foreign country in order to increase their career opportunities.

During these two weeks, participants visit well-known companies across several sectors: Energy, IT, Industrial Production, Technical Consultancy, Financial Engineering, Construction, and Construction and Real State. The participants take also a 2 hours daily course to get familiar with recruitment and how to succeed in an application process.

Professor Antoni Reig, industrial engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and co-ordinator of the programme, came along with the students and kindly introduced the seminar and speakers of the session. Mr. Igor Urra, Secretary General of the Chamber, was in attendance to provide further information about our institution and the activities we organise throughout the year. On the other hand, the Secretary General talked about the Graduate European Programme, which has similar goals to The Two Week s Programme. As he pointed out “The opportunities are here, and once you have been here you are able to go to other countries because almost every multunational in the world has headquarters in London”.

Antonio Reig (left) handed a plate to our Secretary General, Igor Urra, to mark this visit.

The next speaker was Ms. Sofía Vázquez, CEO of Mundialengua, a company specialised in finding internships and placements for graduates. This is the second year that she participates in this programme as a speaker. During her presentation, which focused on what the main objectives or an interview /selection process are -, she gave the students some very useful tips regarding how important it is to make a good first impression at an interview.

She also mentione other things to take into consideration such as the need to be flexible, not arriving too early or too late, and the importance of asking questions. She also encouraged attendees to look for internships, as in her own words “it is a really good way to explore the market and to learn; even when it is not paid you may get an opportunity to stay afterwards, either as an extension of your internship, or even get hired after some months”.

Ms. Vázquez explaining the benefits of getting an internship

To end up with the session, Sergio Soriano, who was a former student at the Polythecnic and took part in the first edition of the Two Weeks Programme, shared his experience with the current participants.

He described his own job hunting experience in a city where there are a lot of opportunities but also “there are lots of selection processes, and good pages to look for them. It is always hard to pass the tests, as well as the interview; however it’s worth trying if that’s what you want to do”. Finally, he described how living in London is like and shared some useful advice for those interested in following his steps and move here. Sergio has been working in different companies since he arrived in London.

Mr. Soriano sharing his experience with the students

We would like to thank Mr. Antonio Reig for counting with the Spanish Chamber again to organise and host this session and special thanks as well to all the students who attended. We wish the students the best of luck for their future careers.

29/07/2013
Annual Roundup of 2012

The exceptional Jubilee year of 2012 is coming to its end and it is time to look back and go through these past months of intense activity.

The year was opened, as usual, with our New Years Drinks Reception in January. This hallmarked the start of a year of renewed focus in delivering events, training and commercial agendas for the benefit of our members.

It’s that time of the year in London, when Christmas comes crackling into life with fireworks and miles of decorative lights.

In April, we named the winner of our Annual Golden Award as being MAPFRE, a Spanish company recognised as making a significant impact within the UK market over the previous year. Not long after, we held our Annual General Meeting , which was devoted to providing our members with an open account of the Chamber’s activities & statistics, in order to contrast its successes with the year before. What followed was a formal dinner, presided by the Ambassador of Spain, and with our Guest of Honor being Ms. Tamara Rojo, the internationally acclaimed ballerina who had just been appointed as the Artistic Director of the English National Ballet.

To round off the year was the largest event of our calendar, the Annual Gala Dinner which this year counted on the presence of Mr. José Manuel Soria, Spanish Minister for Trade, Energy & Tourism. All of these landmark formal events speak of the ability of which the Chamber is able to bring its members together on a diverse, inclusive and grande scale. But this isn’t the whole story.

Our Annual Golden Award was hosted at the Spanish Embassy.

The Chamber has run over 50 events in the past year, from training workshops and networking seminars, to collaborative member events and informal parties. All, we hope, have been thoroughly enjoyed by our members, as their continually high levels of demand suggests. We have also worked with LSE Enterprise, Patrons of the Chamber, to provide a series of talks with high profile speakers, including Mr. Antonio Vázquez, Chairman of Iberia, Mr. Álex Cruz, CEO of Vueling, and Mr. Pedro J. Ramírez, Editorial Director of Unidad Editorial.

We have also laid on exclusive events with our Patrons, for which we have created the Patrons’ Club which this year has included different activities with high-profile speakers such as Mr. Varel Freeman, Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Mr. John Cridland, Director-General of the CBI; and Mr. Jaime García-Legaz, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade.

We have nurtured new talent, too. The XIV Edition of our Graduate European Programme took off in September and welcomed 14 participants that will be carrying out work-experience at London-based companies for 6 months. At the same time, they will be attending different commercial workshops and English lessons on business to help compliment their professional placements.

One of our many informative seminars to have taken place at the Spanish Chamber premises this year.

To end our calendar, it was our great pleasure to celebrate this fantastic year with our ever-popular Informal Christmas Party, which took place on the King’s Road, last week. The event was kindly sponsored by Beefeater 24, meaning that the G&T’s were being enjoyed by our enthusiastic guests long into the night – saying fairwell to an active past year in style.

As a final remark, we’d like to thank all of our members and attendees which have made the events over the last year such a success. With more in-depth news on the various trade partnerships and commercial opportunities which were successfully cultivated over the past year, please do have a browse of our earlier blog posts. Beyond that, we only wish to say that we are looking forward to working with you, and new companies on the scene, next year!

07/12/2012

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