Applications are open for the airport's 2024 summer internships, with roles available in six different teams, from engineering and legal to marketing and communications.
Last year marked the first time the airport ran its own internship scheme and Rachel Harris was among those who came on board, joining the People and Planning team as an e-Learning Development Intern.
Here Rachel talks about what it's like to be an airport intern, what her summer consisted of, and how she ended up being offered a full-time, permanent role at their airport afterwards.
I saw the role advertised when I was finishing up my dissertation at university. It was around March or April time, so before I graduated in Digital Media and Interaction Design (BSc).
I thought it looked a perfect opportunity as it started just after I finished my degree and the e-learning element aligned with my fourth year honours project, which was focused on developing a music training platform for younger children in primary school.
The process of designing learning content was linked, and I knew the internship would allow me to expand my knowledge in creating learning packages for a wider range of people.
During my internship I was tasked with redesigning the airport's Fire Safety and Evacuation e-Learning package. This is hosted on our company training portal for all staff to complete.
Most days were spent on this, coming up with ideas and storyboarding these before implementing the redesign on our e-Learning software. I worked with colleagues in different departments like the Airport Fire Service and POSMs (Passenger Operations and Safety Managers) to make sure all details were correct and up to date.
The trust that was given surprised me the most. I always felt part of the team and that my opinion mattered.
In terms of the training team it is a great environment to be part of and a close-knit team. Things like going for lunch together, and having normal day-to-day chats, helped me feel at ease when I started. I also got along well with the other interns at the airport. We'd talk over teams about our experiences and share what we were up to that day. Our roles were different but we were able to arrange to go for lunch if we were all free.
The airport is such an interesting place to work, and there have been a lot of great memories so far.
One which stands out is when the Red Arrows were at the airport and two members of our team took myself and one other intern down onto the tarmac to see them up close. We got to speak to the engineers and enjoy a unique personal experience.
That's something I'll remember for a long time.
After my internship I was offered a part time role with the training team. This was to help with admin queries and continue my work on mini e-learning projects.
I've since gone full-time allowing me to spend more time on these projects, and I'm looking forward to exploring them even more.
Everything I've learned so far has benefitted me as I've taken on different roles. The training you're offered allows for a lot of personal development. This'll not only benefit me in my job here but also outside of work. It's a luxury to have these training opportunities available and being able to complete these while working is a big positive also.
I would encourage them to apply as Edinburgh Airport is a fantastic employer.
The benefits you receive are great and the experiences you get collaborating with different teams and areas of business are extremely positive. This is much different to any employer I have seen.
The teams are really supportive and you will feel at ease from your first day.
Find out more about the airport's internship opportunities here. Applications remain open until Friday, April 5.
