Stuart Ross Communications Internship

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Date: 20 Oct 2026

Location: Palestra House, TfL Corporate

Company: TfL, GLA or OPDC

Please note: This role may close soon depending on the level of interest so don’t miss out! 

 

Thank you for your interest in applying for this role.  

 

We’d like to remind you that you must ensure you are eligible for this scheme before applying. Please read through the eligibility criteria below carefully and ensure that you are eligible before applying.  

 

This application will also contain a series of questions to establish whether or not you are eligible. It is important that you take great care in reading and answering these questions as we will not be able to revert your application if an error is made.  

 

Please Note: We only allow one application for any of our Graduate / Intern schemes per year. Any subsequent applications will be withdrawn. 

 

Stuart Ross Communications Internship 
Creating inclusive opportunities for the next generation of communicators 

 
Bursary  

A bursary of £27,029 pro rata, per annum. (in line with London Living Wage)  

 

Location  

Up to 50 per cent of time can be spent undertaking the internship from home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements may alter subject to business requirements. This internship benefits from regularly being in the office. 

 

Internship overview 

The Stuart Ross Communications Internship is a diversity initiative targeted at increasing the number of people from under-represented groups entering in the Public Relations, Communications and Marketing industries. Find out more about the internship and its background here.  

 

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

 

What we offer 

You will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards include: 

 

  • Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household  

  • Discounted national rail and Eurostar travel 

  • Minimum 28 days Annual leave (Pro rata dependent on role) plus public and bank holidays.  

  • Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme 

  • Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more 

 

Duration 

11 months. Full-time, Monday to Friday. 

 

Entry requirements 

Applications for joining TfL in 2027 are sought from candidates with specific protected characteristics who are: 

 

  • From Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds and/or 

  • Individuals from a disadvantaged socio-economic background  

  • All candidates must be at least 18 years of age by the internship start date. The start date of the internship is 6-Sep-2027. 

 

Additionally, they must be either: 

 

  • A graduate with a minimum 2:2 in any degree, or an undergraduate on track to achieve this,

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.  

 

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. 

 

Successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the scheme, as at the start date.  This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa scheme.  If you do not have the right to work in the UK, or only have a right to work here for a limited time which is lesser than the duration of the scheme, you should be aware that TfL will be unable to sponsor you for this role. 

 

Start Date 

6th September-2027 

 

What will I be doing?  

You’ll learn the essential skills you need to start your career in the communications industry in a fast-paced environment.  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 will 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 Directorate 

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 and information. 

 

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. 

 

Sustainability 

Intrinsic to TfL’s work ethos we operate in a sustainable way to protect and regenerate the natural world.  Our communications teams play a pivotal role in telling this story. 

 

What training and support will I get? 

You will be supported with a wide range of on-the-job practical experience and placements as well a combination of training, mentoring, and networking. 

 

You'll also receive one-to-one guidance throughout the programme from your: 

 

  • Placement manager: Responsible for your day-to-day management and support with your development 

  • Scheme sponsor: A senior manager who acts as a technical and professional adviser and has line manager responsibility 

  • Buddy: Usually a previous intern or graduate  

  • Development adviser: Supports your professional development through providing career coaching and career progression at TfL. 

 

What do we look for? 

Everything we do as an organisation is to ensure that our evolving city remains future proof for millions of Londoners. Our talented interns form a vital part of that vision, so it’s important that we find the best people to help us do this. We’re looking for people who are: 

 

  • Motivated to learn and gain experience during their internship at TfL  

  • Passionate about a career in communications, public relations, marketing or public affairs 

  • Team players who thrive on working with other people, as well as working independently  

 

Our core values are extremely important to us, and we desire candidates who are: 

 

  • Caring about our colleagues, our customers and our work 

  • Open to each other, to new ideas and to working together 

  • Adaptable to diverse needs and willing to innovate 

 

Application process 

"Any applications from internal TfL staff should be made using your TfL email address. Any NPL staff should utilise their personal email address."

 

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process. 

 

Please click on this link for which describes each stage of the Graduates Application Process 

  

If you already hold your qualification certificates, please upload copies of these to your application. If you are due to sit final exams or need to replace any certificates, these must be provided at a later stage. 

 

You will receive information and guidance around each assessment stage as you progress through your application.   

 

Please pay close attention to emails and deadlines provided noting you have 1 week to complete online assessments and we cannot re-issue these tests once the deadline passes.  

 

Assessment centres for graduate and intern roles will take place from November - January. Please note that we are unable to guarantee alternative dates. Candidates should please be informed that the assessment centre for the Stuart Ross Communications Internship is scheduled to be held in-person, in London, on the 14th and 15th January 2027. 

 

Our city. Made better by you.  

TfL is a place that’s open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It’s a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you’re encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.  

 

Inclusive recruitment process  

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve. We believe that a diverse workforce enables us to deliver better services and outcomes. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people. 

 

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we aim to offer an assessment or interview to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum essential criteria for skills, knowledge and experience has been met. In some circumstances, it may not be practical to offer an interview or assessment to every candidate who applies through the scheme and meet the minimum essential criteria; in these situations, we select candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than interviewing all who meet them.  

 

Across all recruitment activity, we recognise that selection methods may vary depending on the nature and scale of the campaign and will be applied fairly, consistently and proportionately in line with our Disability Confident commitments. 

 

In High Volume campaigns including Graduate, Apprentice and Intern recruitment the minimum criteria we set is achieving a pass mark in our first stage assessments, adopting a proportionate approach to the Disability Confident Offer an Interview scheme.  

 

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments for any stages of the application process. 

 

Contact us 

Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17.30)