International student interns: how valued by host enterprises?

Abstract

ABSTRACT A substantial literature already exists in international students’ study experience, but since relatively less exploration has occurred into their involvement in work-integrated learning it was considered desirable to further develop what is known about this area. Still less is known about how organisational hosts of international interns regard the purpose or outcomes of their placements. In the present study involving 16 US students interning in a diverse collection of New Zealand organisations, hosts had high expectations of what their international intern would provide by way of new ideas and specialist capability and they also concurred that interns did make a valuable contribution in these respects. In nearly all cases good competence in English was sought. Hosts also agreed that interns received actual professional workplace experience and had the opportunity to make independent decisions. The context within which an individual learns is often thought to be very influential in what is likely to be learned. Nevertheless, personnel from very dissimilar host organisations showed close agreement on what their interns learned and contributed.