AI Consultancy Micro-Internship – An Innovative and Successful UoL Pilot

Posted on: 13 March 2026 by Jade Bolderson in Employer Connections Blog

Not a team to shy away from trying new things, in November 2025 we introduced our first-of-its-kind AI Consultancy Micro-Internship, delivered in partnership with Springpod and Accenture.

Students who completed the experience demonstrated curiosity, creativity and a strong problem-solving mindset – all qualities that are becoming increasingly valued by employers in the ever-evolving world of work.

A real taste of consultancy work

From understanding business challenges to developing and pitching practical, innovative solutions, the four-week programme gave over 160 students a genuine taste of the consultancy world, while strengthening their understanding of AI tools and how they can be applied across both business and university life.

Designed to go beyond the traditional virtual internship, we wanted to avoid purely hypothetical scenarios. Instead, we collaborated with eight partner organisations from the Liverpool City Region to provide live, real-world challenge briefs for students to tackle.

These organisations included:

• JLR
• LYVA Labs
• Baltic Creative CIC
• Kyndryl
• Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool)
• Davies Partnership
• National Museums Liverpool
• CloudJungle (an Enxoo company)

Students also benefited from expert insights and guidance from Accenture during a two-week training period. This support enabled them to push themselves outside their comfort zones by applying consulting frameworks, utilising AI tools and developing confidence in presenting their ideas and solutions professionally.

“What stood out about the AI Consultancy Micro-Internship was how closely it mirrored real consulting work. We weren't just given a case study to read. We had to diagnose a genuine business problem, apply structured methodologies, and deliver a solution that would hold up in front of a client.”
— Vedant, University of Liverpool student

Partner organisations also benefited from a light-touch, innovative approach to addressing genuine business challenges while connecting with some of our most creative and forward-thinking students.

We found the beginning stages to be very positive, with the support of Springpod. The script and filming process was very easy. The celebration event at the end was very enjoyable and it was great to hear all of the student insights.
— Knowledge Quarter Liverpool

For many participants, this was their first experience of consultancy-style work, and we’re incredibly proud of the high-quality outputs delivered. Impressively, 83.23% of students achieved scores within the top two assessment tiers.

More than a virtual experience

While the programme centred around real-world business challenges, we also wanted to bring students and partners together in person.

At a final celebration event, the experience concluded with a keynote from Accenture, insights and programme data from Springpod, and a student panel sharing their experiences of the internship.

Panellists reflected on how the programme helped them:

• Learn how to tackle real-world challenges
• Develop practical consulting and problem-solving skills
• Build confidence using AI tools in a professional setting
• Step outside their comfort zones

Bringing students and partner organisations together was key to making the experience truly meaningful. It was clear how much students valued the opportunity to network and discuss how their ideas could translate into real solutions.

The in-person celebration event brought everything together. Meeting the employers behind the brief, particularly the team from Kyndryl, gave me a deeper appreciation for how the skills we'd built actually translate into industry. A conversation at the event inspired me to build a working prototype off the back of what I'd learned, and the connections I made directly led to the AI internship I'm now doing at Springpod. So, the programme had a tangible impact well beyond the certificate.
— Vedant, University of Liverpool student

Looking ahead

With new relationships formed and fresh ideas generated, the success of the AI Consultancy Micro-Internship demonstrates how experiential learning plays a vital role in preparing students for the opportunities and challenges of an AI-enabled world of work.

“This initiative enabled us to build our partnership with the University of Liverpool while providing students the chance to get their teeth into a real consulting brief. It is very important for us to support growth in the region and provide visibility and opportunity for students at the University.”
— Kyndryl

We’re incredibly proud that the University of Liverpool is the first UK university to deliver an AI Micro-Internship of this kind at this scale, and we’re excited to see what comes next.

If you’d like to know more about how you can work with us to provide a real-world challenge brief for the next AI Consultancy Micro-Internship, don't hesitate to get in touch with Jade Bolders at employerconnections@liverpool.ac.uk.

A huge thank you to all partners involved:
Springpod, Accenture, JLR, Baltic Creative CIC, Kyndryl, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, Davies Partnership, LYVA Labs, National Museums Liverpool and CloudJungle.