BELFAST Harbour has appointed graduate Laura Morgan as the first intern from the Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Internship programme.
Laura will spend a year with the Harbour as part of the programme which aims to help graduates in Northern Ireland strike the balance between qualifications and work experience.
Laura, who comes from a real estate background, will be based in the Harbour’s property department which is responsible for managing and developing Belfast Harbour Estate. The estate is home to around 700 companies employing over 22,000 people and includes developments such as City Quays, Titanic Quarter and Sydenham Business Park.
Welcoming her new position said: “I’m delighted to have been selected for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is an extremely exciting time for Belfast Harbour’s property portfolio and I feel privileged to be starting my career working alongside such an experienced team.” Laura is a graduate of the University of Ulster with a Master of Science (MSc), Urban Planning and Property Development, with Distinction. Her integrated degree, which had both urban planning and property development related modules, covered the social, environmental and economic issues that arise from planning and property development, with a focus on scenario based learning.
Property Director, Graeme Johnston, said: “We are delighted to be helping Laura to launch her career. I would encourage every business to get involved in the Responsible Business Internship Programme. The team at Business in the Community will help you to design internships that suit your organisation and provide graduates with highly specific and much-needed work experience; helping them to launch their careers.
“Business in the Community’s Head of Employability, Sheila Duffy, said: “We are delighted to partner with Belfast Harbour on this initiative. We are committed to working with responsible businesses across Northern Ireland to help break the cycle of graduate unemployment and are determined to help graduates find new opportunities.”