From Internship to Employment: Bethany’s Journey with Actes Trust

A Teesside University graduate is celebrating the next step in her career after turning a short-term internship with Actes Trust into a long-term role supporting young people and communities across Middlesbrough. Bethany joined us in May 2025 as a Research Intern, completing a ten‑week, full‑time placement through Teesside University while finishing her degree in Crime Scene Science. While the internship was not directly linked to her academic subject, Bethany saw it as a valuable opportunity to gain real‑world experience, build confidence, and strengthen her people skills through working directly with local communities.

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Bethany quickly settled into the role and began engaging with a wide range of community groups across Middlesbrough. Through research activity and face‑to‑face conversations, she helped us to develop a clearer understanding of the barriers local people face and the issues that matter most within different neighbourhoods.

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Throughout the internship, Bethany demonstrated an impressive range of skills, including strong communication, excellent time management, a forensic level of attention to detail, and a consistently positive, can‑do attitude. Her academic background also brought a methodical and analytical approach to gathering and handling information, which added real value to the work.

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Bethany’s internship came to an end in July 2025, the same month she graduated from Teesside University. Just a few months later, when we advertised a new opportunity - the role of Communications and Engagement Support Officer on the Middlesbrough Youth Mutual (MYM) Project - Bethany applied and was successful.

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In her new position, Bethany now creates and schedules content that showcases the wide range of activites, opportunities and success stories emerging from Middlesbrough Youth Mutual. She also spends time in youth clubs and at community events, building positive connections with young people and helping to raise the project’s profile across the town. Alongside this frontline work, Bethany plays an important role in supporting communication between MYM lead organisations and wider partners.

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Reflecting on her journey, Bethany says the initial internship proved to be a turning point: “Taking on the internship opened my eyes to the kind of work that motivates me; strengthening connections, supporting local voices and helping projects grow from the ground up. It showed me that you never really know what can come from an opportunity like that.”

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She adds:

“It can be the first step towards finding out what you enjoy, building your confidence, and even securing a job you didn’t expect. Sometimes that little step ends up opening a much bigger door. For me, this role felt like the perfect next chapter - a chance to use my analytical skills, my community‑focused mindset and my passion for helping people, all while continuing to make a positive impact where it matters most.”

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Bethany’s story is a powerful example of how internships and early‑career opportunities can help shape future pathways - and how saying yes to new experiences can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.