Saltire Scholar to spend 10 weeks with Scotmid
SCOTTISH retail chain Scotmid Co-op has marked International Intern Day by highlighting the story of its own intern and Saltire Scholar Anna Lodge.
Lodge is currently undertaking a 10-week internship programme at Scotmid as part of Entrepreneurial Scotland‘s Saltire Scholar programme, which connects university students with organisations across Scotland to develop connections and build workplace confidence with talented students.
Now in the fourth week of her internship, Lodge is playing a strategic role in one of the chain’s key projects and will support the society’s future digital customer and membership experience. As part of this experience, Lodge will cover market research, customer insight, stakeholder engagement and develop recommendations that could that will shape Scotmid’s future customer and memberships.
A University of St. Andrews student, Lodge had previously secured an internship position placement elsewhere through the programme which was unexpectedly withdrawn. Scotmid team members said they recognised Lodge’s potential and how she could offer a fresh perspective for the team and so the society quickly moved to create a placement for her.
Lynne Ogg, head of membership & community engagement at Scotmid, said: “When we heard Anna’s internship had been withdrawn after it was due to begin, we didn’t just see someone who needed a placement – we saw an opportunity.
“One of the seven international co-operative principles is Education, Training and Information. For us, that means recognising potential, investing in people and creating opportunities to develop future talent.
“The Saltire Scholar Programme attracts some of Scotland’s brightest students, and we knew Anna would bring fresh ideas and a different perspective. Four weeks into her placement, she’s already making a meaningful contribution to one of our key strategic projects. Great internships benefit everyone – students gain invaluable experience, and organisations benefit from new thinking and future talent.”
Speaking on her time with the internship, Lodge said: “At Scotmid I’ve been trusted to contribute to a live strategic project, work with colleagues from across the Society and share my ideas from day one. Every day I’m learning something new, building my confidence and gaining practical experience that will be invaluable as I begin my career.
“It’s been a fantastic opportunity to experience how a large organisation works, while making a genuine contribution to a project that will benefit Scotmid’s members and customers.”
