The council yesterday confirmed five grants totalling $290,700 for Dunedin companies in the latest round of the council's industry project fund.
Among the grants was a $124,200 council contribution towards the $414,000 cost of running an expanded Dunedin Internship Programme, which aimed to place 92 interns in temporary positions across 48 companies.
The programme - a collaboration between the council, the Dunedin education sector and city companies - was an expansion of the Dunedin ICT Internship Programme run in previous years, which placed information and communication technology (ICT) students within the city's ICT companies.
A second council grant confirmed yesterday of $85,000 would go towards the $287,794 cost of running the Building Business Through Apprenticeships programme, another collaboration involving the council and the city's education sector and companies.
The details were confirmed by Cr John Bezett at a press conference attended by the recipients yesterday.
Council business development adviser Graham Strong told the Otago Daily Times the expanded Dunedin Internship Programme was the result of feedback from other companies also struggling to secure skilled staff.
"It's taken on quite a strong life of its own," he said.
The ICT internship programme had developed over the past two years, from 12 companies and 25 interns in the first year to 25 companies and 40 interns last year, he said.
The key was proving to businesses that interns could survive and add value to companies in a real workplace, he said.
It was also an opportunity for students to secure work at companies they might not have been aware even existed in Dunedin, which helped encourage the students to stay in Dunedin to work, he said.
Dunedin City Council economic development unit adviser Des Adamson said each company would receive between $750 and $2300 per intern to offset wages and other costs associated with taking them on.
Students would be recruited by September, with placements running from November to April next year. It was hoped the placements would result in 30 full-time, part-time or contract jobs, boosting companies' sales and generating an estimated $1.5 million for the Dunedin economy, Mr Adamson said.
Andrew Harrison - one of three interns taken on by Dunedin company Big Picture Learning - said the chance to gain experience while working for a Dunedin company would have a "huge" influence on his prospects in the city.
Many employers looked for workers with experience, which university students often lacked straight after completing studies, he said.
"This intern programme is a huge help."
Big Picture Learning managing director Rakesh Pandey said the interns had been "extremely important" to his company's success, providing fresh skills and expertise.
Mr Strong said results from previous years showed about one in three interns remained in full-time work after their placements.
Other recipients announced yesterday included Education Dunedin, which received $40,000 towards the $124,000 cost of an upcoming marketing trip to China to promote Dunedin as an destination for international students.
The money would also help pay for hosting Chinese and Brazilian international education agents in Dunedin later this year, he said.
Insight Sport received $30,000 towards the $60,000 cost of developing a video-based training tool for the All Blacks, and The Floor Board Group received $11,500 towards the $153,840 cost of developing a new industrial grade pellet fuel.
Cr Bezett said the industry project fund aimed to give Dunedin businesses a "kick-start" and show council support, on top of other initiatives including rates relief, marketing and research support and funding for Tourism Dunedin.
Figures released last month showed the council had pumped more than $2.36 million in grants - excluding the industry project fund - into 186 Dunedin companies between 2005 and 2010, helping create 416 jobs and generating $44 million in sales.
DCC industry grants
• Dunedin Internship Programme: $124,200
• Building Business Through Apprenticeships: $85,000.
• Education Dunedin: $40,000.
• Insight Sport: $30,000.
• The Flood Board Group: $11,500
