The million-dollar question: can internships boost employment?

Silva, Patrı́cia; Lopes, Betina; Costa, Marco; Melo, Ana I.; Dias, Gonçalo Paiva; Brito, Elisabeth; Seabra, Dina

doi:10.1080/03075079.2016.1144181

Cited by 110 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…In order to ensure the comparability of the data to be collected from each case, it was decided to confine the FCD to interrelated areas. The areas chosen were Marketing and Management and Accounting since these FCD revealed to be the ones where internships are more common [15,16]. Four HEIs were chosen based on the effort in maintaining some diversity regarding:…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(ii) the geographical localization (costal vs. inland), since Portugal s inland is characterized by depopulation, stagnation, and delay, being the levels of social and economic maladjustment difficult to reverse, thus contributing to lower levels of development [43,44]. (iii) nature (mandatory vs. facultative) of internships, since previous research [15,16] indicated that compulsory internships significantly impact on graduate employment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most common designations are vocational training [7,8], practicum or practical training [9], work placement [10,11], (early) workplace learning [10], as well as apprenticeship, traineeship or internship [12][13][14]. Within this study the term (curricular) internship was adopted, due to the fact that it is the closest word to the common term used in the Portuguese Higher Education scenario-"estágios curriculares" [15][16][17]-the national context of this study.…”

Section: Literature Review: the Solar Side Of Internshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in terms of literature review, we have looked at studies that reported findings related to pedagogical experiences in FCD, which include the possibility of students to contact with real working experiences outside the academia [18], being guided by, at least, two more experienced supervisors, one belonging to a HEI and the other to an employing institution [15,16]. These work experiences are broadly known as "Work Integrated Learning", in short WIL strategies [19][20][21].…”

Section: Literature Review: the Solar Side Of Internshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each internship placement allows students to integrate a 'professional network', giving him/her the opportunity to 'socialize' with several professionals that may constitute key contacts (in the best scenario, a future 'employer') in the effort of getting a first job [34][35][36]. According to a large-scale study conducted in Portugal, mandatory internships and the inclusion of multiple, shorter internships throughout FCD tend to be negatively associated with the unemployment levels of graduates [15,16].…”

Section: Internships Within the Knowledge Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The ‘Lunar Side’ of the Story: Exploring the Sustainability of Curricular Internships in Higher Education

et al. 2019

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Curricular internships are increasingly seen as an effective strategy capable of contributing to the objectives and targets of the sustainable development paradigm, both in its social, economic and institutional dimensions. This positive outlook is ingrained within the large bulk of existing research, which has been focused on the discussion of positive outputs, such as the enhancement of graduates competences (employability) and their work integration (employment). An important, albeit relatively unexplored, feature of the sustainable institutional politics of curricular internship management pertains to the assessment of its associated liabilities and tensions. This article seeks to address this challenge, by analyzing two interrelated dimensions. First, it seeks to understand the internship processes ranging from the planning to the implementation stages. Second, it elicits the associated negative aspects (the 'lunar side') of internships, allowing for an assessment of the features where there is room for improvement. Empirically, this article draws on in-depth qualitative research. It presents the results of four focus groups, voicing the perceptions of top management structures and students involving first cycle degrees in the areas of Marketing, Management, and Accounting from four public Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)-three polytechnics and one university. Findings confirm the general positive outlook of internships. Perceived negative perspectives report to both internal problems (such as the lack of institutional support and curricular design) and external problems (e.g., the shortage of suitable internship placements), constituting barriers towards sustainable institutional policies and strategies. Adaptive strategies to overcome specific difficulties are highlighted (e.g., establishment of advisory committees with local businessmen). Finally, recommendations regarding curricular internship management at HEIs are delineated (e.g., investment in monitoring and evaluation strategies of internships).

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Review: the Solar Side Of Internshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Review: the Solar Side Of Internshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Internships Within the Knowledge Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The ‘Lunar Side’ of the Story: Exploring the Sustainability of Curricular Internships in Higher Education

et al. 2019

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Trading labor for experience: The role of unpaid internships in shaping Active Labor Market Policies in Ireland since the Great Recession

Arlow

2023

European Policy Analysis

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Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs), which include state‐funded apprenticeships, have long been used as a way of encouraging unemployed youth into skilled and semiskilled trades. However, new forms of “nonstandard” employment are now dominating young people's experience of the labor market. In fact, unpaid internships are becoming a normal part of a modern curriculum vitae and viewed as a necessary rite of passage for a successful school‐to‐work transfer, especially in the middle‐class professions. Through the use of freedom of information requests, policy documents, evaluation reports, and semistructured interviews, this paper examines the role of unpaid internships in shaping the four most recent ALMPs targeted at Irish youth since the Great Recession (2008). It theorizes that the increased prevalence of unpaid internships in the entry‐level jobs market leads to Irish policymakers designing youth unemployment ALMPs based on a private‐sector unpaid internship model. This paper will first situate youth unemployment policy within the literature on ALMPs and unpaid internships. It will then combine process tracing as a within‐case research method with a comparative case study of the four ALMPs. In conclusion, this paper finds that Irish youth unemployment policy designed during periods of economic crisis tends to prioritize the needs of host organizations and mirror employment norms established through unpaid internships. Conversely, during periods of economic growth, the Irish youth unemployment policy reverts to a more regulated model that protects the entry‐level jobs market. Furthermore, this paper recommends that European states should prohibit the use of unpaid internships to avoid further entrenching precarious and discriminatory work patterns.

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International internships and skill development: A systematic review

Pietro

2022

Review of Education

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An increasing number of students complete an internship during their higher education studies in a country different from that of their home institution. A main advantage of this type of mobility is that it responds to employers' need for graduates with both hands‐on experience and global skills. In this paper, we attempt to review existing research on the types of skills higher education students gain through their participation in international internships. While there are several systematic reviews on study abroad programmes, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first focusing on internship programmes abroad. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) approaches were used to explore four electronic databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Resources Information Center). From these, 31 relevant studies were identified, and data were examined using a combination of thematic and content analysis. Intrapersonal skills (e.g., open mindedness, self‐confidence) are found to be the most frequently cited skills learned by participants. Many of the reviewed studies also report learning gains in terms of practical knowledge and language proficiency. On the other hand, there is less evidence suggesting that international internships enhance cognitive skills and leadership skills. The large majority of the reviewed studies, however, have methodological problems. A future research agenda is outlined, along with suggestions for improving the research methodology.

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The million-dollar question: can internships boost employment?

Abstract: Background: Higher Education Institutions are increasingly concerned with the professional insertion of graduates and with the design of institutional

Cited by 110 publications

References 40 publications

The ‘Lunar Side’ of the Story: Exploring the Sustainability of Curricular Internships in Higher Education

The ‘Lunar Side’ of the Story: Exploring the Sustainability of Curricular Internships in Higher Education

Trading labor for experience: The role of unpaid internships in shaping Active Labor Market Policies in Ireland since the Great Recession

International internships and skill development: A systematic review

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