THE Adopt An Intern programme has secured paid placements with the Scottish Government for at least 10 graduates to work across policy, corporate and operational functions.

The pilot will mark the first time the organisation, which emerged from the Centre for Scottish Public Policy Research in 2010 as a way to help recent graduates gain relevant experience of the working world, has put people directly into government departments.

Each intern is expected to be assigned to work on short-term projects across various sections of the government.

The placements will last at least six months although there is the possibility of some being extended if individual departments have additional demand.

All posts will be based at Scottish Government locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Joy Lewis, chief executive of Adopt An Intern, said the organisation was looking to match the skill sets of applicants to the correct positions.

She said: "Internships will cover a range of policy, operational and corporate posts and are a unique opportunity for passionate individuals looking to gain valuable experience in a high-profile organisation.

"Now is a particularly exciting time to be working within the Scottish Government.

"We're looking for highly motivated graduates interested in public policy and improving the lives of people in Scotland."

The closing date for applications is November 17 with the internships starting in February next year.

Adopt An Intern said it was looking for people who were well organised, had excellent communication skills, possessed strong analytical abilities and were able to build productive working relationships.

The organisation said earlier this year 76% of those going through its programme went on to full-time work within three months.

The success rate for private businesses was even higher with 84% getting a job and around 64% being employed by the company that took them on as interns.

Adopt An Intern confirmed yesterday it remained on course to hit its target of placing 500 people across 2013. It also launched a corporate fostering initiative this year.