Stuart Ross Communications Internship

"This internship is definitely not a typical internship scheme. I was given enormous amount of trust and opportunities to be involved in projects that impacted Londoners' daily lives. They ranged from the communications around the importance of a long-term funding deal for TfL, to organising a celebratory event for the 160th anniversary of London Underground, and briefing the Commissioner and senior executives on different policy issues. All of these significantly improved my communication and project management skills."

— Victor, Completed the Stuart Ross Internship in 2022

Duration: 11 months. Full-time, Monday to Friday.

Where: London/Hybrid. Up to 50 per cent of time can be spent working from home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements may alter subject to business requirements. This role benefits from regular in-office working.

Salary: A bursary of £21,824 (reviewed in line with London Living Wage)

What you'll need

Applications for joining TfL in 2024 are sought from candidates with specific protected characteristics who are:

• From Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds and/or
• People with a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents and/or
• Individuals from a disadvantaged socio-economic background 

Additionally, you must be either:

• A graduate with, or an undergraduate on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 in any degree, or
• A non-graduate with no more than one year's paid experience in the communications industry such as public relations, public affairs, marketing, stakeholder engagement, media, or other related fields.

What you'll be doing

Working in a fast-paced communications environment, you'll learn the essential skills you need to start your career in the industry.  You will have the opportunity to develop your written and verbal communication skills to reach a range of different audiences, including customers, the media, businesses, stakeholder groups and politicians.   As part of the team, you'll be involved from the outset in key projects, creating campaigns, influencing how customers use London's transport network and helping to shape TfL's reputation.    

During your 11-month internship, you will collaborate with teams across the organisation and gain a solid understanding of London's transport network as well as building your skills in several specialities such as Public Relations, Public Affairs and Marketing. 

You will be based in one of three teams, below, and may have the opportunity to undertake a placement in another area.  

TfL Press Office  
One of the UK's busiest press offices where you'll gain all the essential skills you need to start your career in Public Relations. You'll be involved in handling the big stories of the day affecting TfL as well as delivering dedicated stories and campaigns.  You'll learn the full range of Public Relations skills needed to work in the industry, from writing press releases, dealing with journalists and crisis handling to generating ideas for high profile campaigns and organising media events. These could include campaigns to tackle sexual harassment on public transport, Art on the Underground or Poppy Day.  

TfL Customer team  
This team champions and is the voice of TfL's customers, through marketing, customer information, behaviour change and income generating campaigns.  From day one you'll be involved in beginning to end of campaigns, learn how to use the best channels to inform customers and influence their travel behaviours and be involved in using customer feedback, research and data to problem-solve customers' frustrations and provide best-in-class customer experience.  

TfL External Relations 
This includes Government Relations and Stakeholder, Advocacy & Engagement who are responsible for building and maintaining productive partnerships with customer and representative groups, businesses, charities, politicians and many others.  During your time you will be provided with all the skills necessary for a career in Public Affairs, including developing relationships with key stakeholders, monitoring events and third-party positions on transport and related issues, responding to casework, ensuring feedback informs how we improve our policies and services and briefing senior TfL officials in preparation for meetings, events and speeches. 

Where this career can take you

The programme has been highly successful, and our interns have gone on to work in Communications in both the public and private sector organisations, including to some senior positions, as varied as the NHS, the Met Police, the Arts Council and TfL.

About the Stuart Ross Internship

The Stuart Ross Communications Internship was set up in 2006 and is a diversity initiative and training opportunity targeted at increasing the number of people from under-represented groups entering in the Public Relations, Communications and Marketing industries. 

The internship was named after TfL's former director of news Stuart Ross, who passed away in 2016. Stuart was a passionate supporter of the scheme from its inception and was a key part of its success.  

Due to the success of the scheme and TfL's continued commitment to diversity, in 2018 TfL expanded the scheme to include new diversity internships in public affairs and marketing. 

The opportunity for those from ethnic minorities and/or having a disability to apply for the scheme is aligned with the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010. This allows for an employer to take certain actions where people who share a protected characteristic, such as being of a certain ethnic minority, are under-represented in participating in a particular activity. The Government guide to Positive Action in the Workplace sets out further detail on Section 158 ((General) positive action) of the Equality Act at Sections 8-9.  

As a public sector body, TfL is required by Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to advance the Public Sector Equality Duty, by which we must not only take steps to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation on grounds of protected characteristics, but must also seek to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it. 

The Internship is also open to applicants from a disadvantaged socio-economic background to further support widening access to a career in Public Relations, Public Affairs or Marketing.