Government-backed digital adoption programme Made Smarter is to connect Liverpool city region manufacturers with ‘digitally capable students’ in an internship scheme. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region manufacturers will get access to ‘digitally capable students’ in a relaunched internship scheme.

Made Smarter, the Government-backed digital adoption programme for businesses, is bringing back its Digital Technology Internship programme. This connects students and recent graduates with SME manufacturers to work on real technology adoption projects.

This reboot follows the success of the first phase (2019–2022), where nearly half of interns secured permanent jobs.

Among the manufacturers that benefited from the internship programme is CNC Robotics, a robotics integrator based in Liverpool. It was matched with Max Barnett, who was studying a postgraduate degree in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Liverpool.

Max played a key role in a project to adopt a new CRM system, and his performance led to a permanent role with the company. 

Three years on, he has progressed through multiple positions spanning software development, marketing, and sales – representing CNC Robotics at major trade shows both in the UK and overseas.

Max said: “The internship was a pivotal stepping stone in my career. It gave me the chance to apply my technical skills in a real-world setting, but just as importantly, it opened doors to a broader professional network.

“I was trusted with responsibility from day one, and the experience gave me the confidence to grow, take on new challenges, and make a real contribution to a company at the cutting edge of robotic automation in manufacturing.”

According to Made SmarterUK manufacturers are facing “unprecedented workforce pressures”, with 92% expecting skill gaps and over 52,000 job vacancies in the sector.

Cost of inaction is mounting, it adds, with an estimated £7.7bn a year in lost productivity. These challenges are compounded by reduced immigration, an ageing workforce, and underperforming training pipelines.

Made Smarter has published a new white paper: Digital Internships: How Made Smarter helps SME manufacturers tap into tech talent. The free guide offers a deep dive into the digital skills shortage in UK manufacturing and how the programme works.

Interns – ranging from second-year undergraduates to postgraduates and recent graduates in fields such as data science, robotics, digital design, and engineering – are matched with manufacturers undertaking live digital projects.

Internships are flexible (part-time or full-time), paid, and come with support from Made Smarter’s expert advisers.

READ MORE: Merseyrail Tap & Go.. how will it work?

READ MORE: Liverpool city region firm secures deal with JFK Airport

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.

“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.

To find out more about digital internship opportunities click here.