“Internships make a difference” – supporting skills for students
Earlier this year, Phoebe Darling, a second-year Computer Science student at the University of Birmingham, joined the National Centre for Atmospheric Science for a six-week internship.
Eager to explore how her skills could contribute to scientific research, Phoebe immersed herself in a variety of technical projects, from running numerical weather models to configuring Linux systems.
A highlight of Phoebe’s internship was her contribution to FASTAweb – the online platform for the Forecasting African Storms Application (FASTA). Working alongside NCAS developers, she helped integrate the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), a major new feature that enables expert African forecasters to issue timely, location-specific weather alerts. These alerts are now accessible to users such as international aid agencies, enhancing the platform’s ability to support disaster preparedness and response.
Phoebe brought her knowledge of modern web technologies like React and Redux to the table, helping to strengthen FASTAweb’s capabilities. Reflecting on her experience, she said:
“I would sum up my experience as extremely positive. I’ve really enjoyed learning at NCAS and having the chance to contribute to a variety of areas. It’s been a great balance of gaining new skills and actually applying them in ways that matter.”
She added that the most rewarding part was “watching my changes make an actual difference,” especially her work on the CAP alerts, which required her to deepen her understanding of web development and data integration.
Having Phoebe working with the NCAS IT team was fantastic. She brought fresh ideas and a new perspective, which were highly valuable, and working with her was thoroughly enjoyable.
James Groves, IT Manager at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science
Phoebe’s story is a testament to the mutual benefits of internships. For students, they offer a chance to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges, build confidence, and make meaningful contributions.
For organisations like NCAS, they bring in new energy, fresh thinking, and the opportunity to support the next generation of scientific and technical talent.
Asked if she would recommend an NCAS internship, Phoebe didn’t hesitate:
“Absolutely. My internship has been very insightful. The people here are so supportive and keen to help whenever you need it. There’s so much to learn, and it’s an opportunity I think anyone would benefit from if they want to gain experience and contribute to real projects.”