Digital internship programme relaunched to support North West manufacturers

Made Smarter has relaunched its highly successful Digital Technology Internship programme to help SME manufacturers in the North West tackle digital skills gaps.

The government funded scheme connects digitally capable students and recent graduates with SME manufacturers to work on real-world technology adoption projects. The reboot follows the overwhelming success of the first phase (2019–2022), where nearly half of interns secured permanent jobs. 

Made Smarter’s Digital Internship programme helps manufacturers address immediate resource needs and long-term skills development, while offering students career-defining experience.

Interns – ranging from second-year undergraduates to postgraduates and recent graduates in fields like data science, robotics, digital design, and engineering – are matched with manufacturers undertaking live digital projects. These may include helping to develop digital roadmaps, or implementing software or hardware solutions. Internships are flexible (part-time or full-time), paid, and come with support from Made Smarter’s expert advisers. 

Among the manufacturers to benefit from the internship programme is Arden Dies, a die-maker based in Stockport, who took on two interns to develop additive manufacturing (AM) projects. The experiences gave the company the confidence to invest in a 3D printer, backed by a Made Smarter technology grant. As a result, integrating AM into the firm’s rotary tooling operations has accelerated production by 75%, increased in-house productivity, and reduced external costs. Arden has now even established a small AM department for R&D to prototype new ideas. 

Sarah Poynter (pictured), Operations Director at Arden Dies, said:

“Working with Made Smarter has highlighted the importance of investing in people and skills to drive that technology and make us more efficient.

“The digital interns that Made Smarter supported us with have really helped accelerate our adoption of 3D printing. As emerging experts in their fields they also introduced us to technology, processes and materials we weren’t aware of. This enabled us to bring things to market a lot quicker than we would have done otherwise. They have also been able to mentor and share their skills across the business to embed that knowledge.

“The internship scheme from Made Smarter is a fantastic initiative that provides the students with valuable practical experience within the industry, while organisations like us can benefit from their expertise as we adopt new and emerging technologies into our workflow.”

Donna Edwards, Programme Director for Made Smarter, said:

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the impact our Digital Internship Programme has had – bringing fresh energy, ideas, and digital know-how into manufacturing businesses across the North West.

“Phase one showed just how powerful this model can be, not only helping manufacturers embrace new technologies and improve productivity, but also giving students and graduates that all-important first step into the industry.

“With national funding now in place, phase two is set to go even further – offering more opportunities for businesses to access fully funded support, and for young people to gain meaningful, paid experience that can kickstart their careers.

“This is about building confidence on both sides – giving manufacturers the skills to take digital forward, and developing the next generation of talent to drive the future of UK manufacturing.”