Contract and Cash

Contract

As part of the programme all graduates are contracted to each design studio for three months. We have prepared a specific employment contract with this in mind. Although not too dissimilar to a standard contract, it has a few key differences. The role of the intern within our studios is clearly outlined and other issues specific to employment for three months are highlighted — like holidays for example. Also, it is useful to introduce participants to the formalities of an employment contract. Items like ‘Project & Client Confidentiality’ and ‘Copyright’ are important and not always clearly defined to interns. If you are interested in running a similar programme feel free to get in touch and we would be happy to share the details of the contract with you.

Traineeship

Along with this standard contract and in association with Dympy Smeets and Kitt de Jong of the BNO in Amsterdam, we have also prepared a contract for anyone employing Undergraduates. For clarity this is called a Traineeship and outlines a formal agreement with the student, educational institution and company. It suggests that a sample outline of activities while on the traineeship are indicated along with details of who will act as the trainees supervisor etc. This helps add transparency to what is often a vague verbal agreement which can often lead to confusion or dissatisfaction. We encourage its use by anyone considering this route — student, educational institute or design company. It is available for download: Traineeship contract

Payment

Underpinning these contracts is our strong belief that internships should be paid. The programme is a two way process just as the participants benefit from studio experience and on the job training our studios gain a lot from having talented and enthusiastic graduates as part of our design teams.

The Threex3 programme pays the statutory minimum wage. Further information can be found here: www.citizensinformation.ie.