Use Of Internships Research Articles

The Role of Internships in Guyana's Development

Guyana’s development is dependent upon, among other things, a well-educated workforce with the necessary skills to exploit its natural resources and to make the nation an effective global competitor. In this regard, the University of Guyana (UG) has a critical role to play by providing its graduates with the education needed to meet the demands of their potential employers. Unfortunately, many organisations have publicly lamented the deficiency of practical skills of UG’s graduates. One available strategic option is for UG to consider a wider use of internships. Internships are valuable because student-interns: (i) learn to apply the theoretical knowledge to real life industrial applications, (ii) are better prepared for entry-level jobs in their field; and (iii) learn by experiencing the actual day-to-day operations of a corporation by attending meetings and participating in actual projects. The objective of this paper is to show how UG can use internships to improve the human capital stock of its graduates. We examine some best practices of internship programmes and demonstrate how internships can be beneficial to students, universities, and companies.

A Scoping Review on Internship Programs and Employment Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Transition policy in the United States has endorsed work-based learning experiences, including internships, for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in order to combat poor rates of post-school employment. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) state plans have reported use of internships as a way to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Internships are complex programs that vary in terms of length, payment, funding, and collaborative partnerships, and are intended to provide an educational experience for students to develop vocational skills. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the impact of internship participation on employment for youth and young adults (aged 16 to late 20s) with IDD. Systematic searches of electronic databases containing peer-reviewed sources were conducted. Nineteen articles were included in the final sample. Findings identified specific internship programs that have been examined within the peer-reviewed literature base, the level of evidence each provides concerning the impact on employment outcomes, and pertinent internship characteristics observed across studies. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scientific Publishing

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scientific Publishing

The role of foreign language internships in cultural enrichment and increasing motivation for Russian students to learn Spanish

Currently, many universities use the communicative approach to foreign language teaching. In contrast, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) uses a mixed approach for these purposes, which combines both the abovementioned communicative method and the grammar-translation method, which is more traditional for Russian universities. Additionally, RUDN University provides an opportunity for students to continue learning the target language at foreign partner universities, where students can practice the language in its natural environment. In this regard, the serious research interest for us is which of our students’ language competencies will transform after graduation from these universities and how their motivation changes towards learning Spanish.The vast majority of previous research on the role of foreign language internships in increasing students' motivation to learn the target language focuses on issues related to motivation to learn the language within the framework of the communicative or grammar-translation method (Helmchen, Melo-Pfeifer, 2018; Germer, 2018; Marijuan and Sanz, 2018). This study approaches the question from a different angle and concentrates on the problem of motivating students who previously studied Spanish at a university that employs the mixed method for learning the foreign language and who later completed an internship at a partner university that in turn utilizes the communicative method.To answer this research question, we aimed to conduct a study of the formed cultural and linguistic competencies of 3rd- and 4th-year students who were and who were not on foreign internships at Spanish partner universities of RUDN University. Based on the obtained data, this research demonstrates the need to change the established approaches not only to the practice of teaching Spanish but also to the conscious use of internships as a tool to increase the motivation of students to learn the target language.

Integrating authentic assessment tasks in work integrated learning hospitality internships

ABSTRACT Internship as part of work-integrated learning (WIL) is a critical curriculum component in higher education to better prepare for the future workforce. To assess WIL, educators typically select authentic assessments such as reflective journals and managerial reports to solve existing workplace problems. Despite the academic discourse supporting the use of internships, a paucity of studies has investigated the role of formal assessments embedded into internship subjects. In this paper, we evaluate the perceptions of hospitality and tourism undergraduates towards the effectiveness of assessments as part of their WIL internship programme. Focus group sessions were conducted with internship university students (n = 29) in Australia over a cross-sectional longitudinal period of 3 years. Our thematic analysis revealed three key themes: authenticity of assessment design, challenges with work-study-life balance, and the level of industry involvement in assessment. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in relation to how compulsory assessment tasks can be effectively integrated into WIL internships to positively influence the experiential learning outcomes of students.

Analysis of readiness of medical university graduates for labor activity

Purpose of work orders to study the readiness of the Medical University graduates for work, a survey of 90 students of the dental and pediatric faculties of Smolensk State Medical University was conducted.Material and methods. Characteristics common to graduates were revealed: lack of confidence in the beginning of work, difficulties in communicating with patients, colleagues, employers, desire to work in budget medical organizations. The specifics of the faculty did not play a significant role in the choice of answers. Students in the pediatric faculty are more knowledgeable in continuing professional development, medical standards and clinical guidelines than dentistry students. Dentists are more practical in professional path choosing. For faculty of pediatrics graduates the last year of study escalates the problem of further professional choice, literally introducing young professionals into a stressful state who declare complete disappointment in choosing a profession.Results of the survey emphasize the need for vocational guidance, educational work with students of a medical university.Conclusion. Adaptation to work improving should be reflected in the content of work programs, activities to promote the employment of graduates, the possibility of obtaining legal advice at the university, the creation of a portal for posting resumes, and the widespread use of internships at workplaces.

Business students’ perspectives on employability skills post internship experience

PurposeEmployability skills of university graduates remain an ongoing topic for discussion and debate. Numerous studies highlight the expressed concerns of governments and industries about higher education’s ability to develop workforce ready graduates. An often cited solution is the use of internships to equip students with necessary employability skills. The purpose of this paper is to assess the status of employability skills from the perspective of students within a United Arab Emirates (UAE) institution based on their completion of a half-semester-long work placement experience.Design/methodology/approachUsing a largely qualitative instrument, students reflected on their internship experience to report the essential skills needed in the workplace, classroom activities that most prepared them to use such skills in the workplace and the various challenges they encountered as interns.FindingsOverall, students attributed a degree of importance to all skills addressed in the study with the greatest importance being attached to communication, teamwork and time management. Students indicated that most skills were addressed in the classroom; however, there appears to be a lack of awareness in the areas of critical thinking, self-management, intercultural skills and taking initiative.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study only addressed the perceptions of business students at one all-female UAE-based institution of higher learning. Therefore, the data collected may not be representative of students enrolled in other degree programs or institutions. However, the understanding of these participants’ experiences adds to the body of literature featuring business undergraduate work experiences – particularly for the UAE and Gulf region.Practical implicationsImplications for academic and professional practitioners are discussed. Findings and recommendations are informative for curriculum development as well as economic and workforce development agencies.Originality/valueThe literature is well documented with studies from the perspectives of multiple entities including employers and university faculty, mostly in the western world. Fewer studies examine the perception of students, and even fewer studies are based on students in the UAE and other Gulf countries.

Internship as a criterion for South African educators’ registration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the possible use of internships to support educators with the increase in their administrative, professional workload.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilised a mixed method approach. Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered. Pragmatism was the research paradigm. Two structured Likert scale questionnaires were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposefully selected in-service educators from schools.FindingsThe participants in this study indicated that the increase in their administrative workload impacted negatively on their well-being, they were overwhelmed by the amount of documentation they had to compile, they indicated that assessment was difficult, that they did not have time to constantly adapt to changes, that they had limited opportunities for professional development. Educators said they suffered from anxiety, had high stress levels, were moody, physically and emotionally exhausted and considered to leave the profession.Practical implicationsThe implementation of an internship model could impact positively on educators’ administrative workload. It could lead to a decrease in educators’ administrative workload; lower stress levels and increased learner performance. Student educators will have opportunities to experience how a school operates, get feedback on their teaching skills, learn to discipline learners, attend meetings and serve as part of an educational team.Originality/valueIn the light of the findings of this research it seems that the implementation of an internship model would provide opportunities to expose student educators to a real-life work experience and opportunities to work together with experienced educators acting as mentors.

Job- and schoolprescription: A local adaptation to individual placement and support for first episode psychosis.

Individual placement and support (IPS) for first episode psychosis (FEP) has proven effective for employment and education, but yields differing results across geographical regions. Local adaptations may be necessary for various reasons, such as regional differences in employment- and welfare services; in educational opportunities and job markets. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an adapted Norwegian intervention offering early IPS for education and employment to persons with FEP. Matched control (N = 66) study with a 1-year early IPS intervention and a 2-year follow up. A rating of fidelity to the IPS model was conducted. Fidelity was "good." Adaptations to the model included the use of internships and flexible combinations of education and employment. Thirty out of 33 participants completed the intervention. Fourteen were in competitive employment >20 h/wk post intervention, compared to 2 in the control group. Fifteen participants were enrolled in education >20 h/wk, 10 of whom also had employment >20 h/wk and 3 < 20 h/wk, compared to 5 in the control group, with 2 having employment <20 h/wk on the side. Symptom levels did not predict outcome. The School- and JobPrescription adaptation of IPS, allowing for temporary internships as a step towards obtaining the goal of paid competitive employment and facilitating flexible combinations of employment and education, showed encouraging results. These were however not sustained after closure of the intervention. At the 2-year follow up, Job- and SchoolPrescription advantages had waned, underscoring the point in IPS that support should be time-unlimited.

The use of internships to foster employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship in the IT sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a study of the role of internships for IT students and for the IT sector. The contribution of internships for career-readiness, and for the development of existing IT organisations and the creation of new ones is explored. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys of interns and managers from host firms were conduced, followed by in-depth interviews with six interns and five organisations. Findings – Internships are useful for increasing enterprise and employability skills and commercial awareness for IT students. IT organisations also benefit in that internships are used to recruit fresh talent. Findings regarding entrepreneurship were disappointing, with little reportage of ambitions to create new firms, nor awareness of the high likelihood of self-employed contractual work in the sector. Research limitations/implications – Implications for research include that self-employment and business ownership are not always “successful” entrepreneurial outcomes born of agency. This requires further study. Practical implications – Development of opportunities for experiential, real-world learning for IT students is implied, as is increased educational focus on employability and enterprise skills to best advantage students for the realities of employment in IT. There is a strong suggestion that much more needs to be done in terms of encouraging entrepreneurship. Originality/value – The paper reports the potentials of internships to interns and to organisations, and through combining these perspectives, provides comment on the utility of internships for the IT sector as a competitive, opportunity-rich global industry.

Higher Education, Markets, and Emotional Values

Reflecting on the generational changes in student movements and the echoes we find in student resistance in the UK in 2011 to the privatization of higher education, this paper argues for a wider understanding of the sources of stress, anxiety and uncertainty of young people. Engaging with the individualization of experience that is encouraged through a neoliberal culture, the effects of changes over time in universities, the increasing use of internships, and the differential effects across class, “race” and ethnicities, the paper goes on to argue that those engaged in the helping professions need to engage psychotherapy and politics in new terms. Thinking beyond the familial frameworks of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, the paper shows that the marketization of values encourages young people into an instrumental relationship with self and a fear of being “a loser” in ways that call for different terms of engagement with emotional lives. There are tensions between an instrumental relationship to therapy of younger generations and humanistic values that potentially challenge the market values and commodification of life fostered within a taken-for-granted neoliberal culture. The paper seeks to learn from the fundamental questioning of the nature of education, values and meaning of life that has been triggered in the UK with lessons that are globally relevant. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The pedagogical use of internships in criminal justice programs: A nationwide study

Internships have been viewed as an important component of many disciplines, including criminal justice. Most studies on the use of internships in criminal justice, however, have been program-specific discussions and have not focused on how they are used in general. This study uses a nationwide survey of 99 programs to ascertain the organization, application, implementation, and evaluation of internships in criminal justice. The data reveal that although there are some differences in how programs use these internships, there are also a number of similarities. Implications for changes based on these results are addressed.

Assessing the role of internships in the career‐oriented employment of graduating college students

This study assessed the relationship between the completion of an internship assignment prior to graduation and subsequent employment in a career‐oriented job after graduation. Subjects for the study were 163 seniors graduating with a business degree from a large public university in the mid‐Atlantic region of the USA. Results showed that the completion of an internship assignment was linked with finding career‐oriented employment, but was not related to a higher level of confidence over personal fit with the position that was selected. The article presents implications for future research and discusses practical issues related to the use of internships and other forms of anticipatory socialization in the career management activities of college students.

The Case of the Resurgent Case

The article discusses various papers on case teaching. Many are doleful at the diminution of case teaching as a cornerstone of American management education. Cases are, after all, the zenith of deductive learning inasmuch as they supply complex situations upon which specifics furnish a springboard for generalities, complete with a glimpse into the untidy human and operational factors that are the rule in organizational life, not the exception. In this way, cases imbue a pedagogically structured experience based upon which sound practice is built. Law schools have been well served by them, as have medical schools, where residencies represent clinical encounters the equivalent of cases. There is no question that business schools are responding to calls for value added with amplified use of internships, practicum, experiential exercises and, yes, cases. If cases are an efficacious means to deliver a practitioner component of professional education, their diminishing use is questionable. That question is too complex to take on.

The Value of an Internship Program for Beginning Teachers

Teacher education policy around the world is being challenged and changed, and the nature of teaching, learning, and learning to teach is being reassessed. A central element of the reforms is a focus on school-based preparation, including the use of internships. This article reports evaluation findings from a comprehensive internship program in Alberta, Canada, as a basis for assessing the value of internships for beginning teachers. Findings from nearly 6,000 respondents focus on the value of internships, supervision of interns, and policy development. The utility of various internship activities, such as skill development and formative reflection, is assessed. On the basis of these findings, recommendations for policy development are presented and potential impediments discussed.

The Internship Experience and Clarification of Career Choice

The use of internships in educating sociology majors has increased in recent years so that currently most departments offer some type of internship opportunity. Most programs are on a small scale, offering three or four hours of course credit. Although a major justification of internship programs is that they help students in career choice clarification, there has been little hard evidence that small-scale programs achieve this end. Using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate a small-scale internship program, this research found that it helped students significantly in clarifying career choices, by providing information on occupations, reducing indecisiveness and anxiety regarding choice, and increasing confidence in the ability to choose.

The Challenges of Attracting Graduate Students to Plant Breeding

The challenges of attracting graduate students to plant breeding are to induce more high school students to major in undergraduate plant science programs and to attract these undergraduates to graduate programs in plant breeding. The first challenge will require the formation of an assertive, symbiotic relationship between high school counselors, agricultural recruitment programs, and broad-based science education programs to overcome some of the student misperceptions of science careers. The second challenge will require the successful communication of the opportunities for plant breeding careers to undergraduate plant science majors. The effective involvement of undergraduate teachers with plant breeders, the use of internships and work programs, the formation of interdisciplinary teams, and the use of speakers' bureaus to facilitate this broader communication are suggested to enhance student recruitment efforts.

Internships in Politics: The CUNY Experience

In December of 1949, a student of public service internships wrote: “All of the professions have sought reality and human understanding, at least in some degree, through the use of internships.” At that time, however, according to a survey conducted by Thomas and Doris Reed, only one American college offered what we would now regard as a political internship program.Today this situation has changed dramatically, and the place of political internships in undergraduate (as well as some graduate) curricula is established in scores of colleges. The pressure for so-called “life experience” courses, the move toward independent study and off-campus programs, and the renewed interest of political and administrative leaders have all contributed to the burgeoning of intern programs. In fact, a recent meeting at Lexington, Kentucky saw internship directors from across the country gathering to confer on such matters as the philosophy of internship, financing, organization, relationships among politicians, academics and students, and related matters.

Internships in Politics: The CUNY Experience

In December of 1949, a student of public service internships wrote: “All of the professions have sought reality and human understanding, at least in some degree, through the use of internships.” At that time, however, according to a survey conducted by Thomas and Doris Reed, only one American college offered what we would now regard as a political internship program.Today this situation has changed dramatically, and the place of political internships in undergraduate (as well as some graduate) curricula is established in scores of colleges. The pressure for so-called “life experience” courses, the move toward independent study and off-campus programs, and the renewed interest of political and administrative leaders have all contributed to the burgeoning of intern programs. In fact, a recent meeting at Lexington, Kentucky saw internship directors from across the country gathering to confer on such matters as the philosophy of internship, financing, organization, relationships among politicians, academics and students, and related matters.

Internships in Politics: The CUNY Experience

In December of 1949, a student of public service internships wrote: “All of the professions have sought reality and human understanding, at least in some degree, through the use of internships.” At that time, however, according to a survey conducted by Thomas and Doris Reed, only one American college offered what we would now regard as a political internship program.Today this situation has changed dramatically, and the place of political internships in undergraduate (as well as some graduate) curricula is established in scores of colleges. The pressure for so-called “life experience” courses, the move toward independent study and off-campus programs, and the renewed interest of political and administrative leaders have all contributed to the burgeoning of intern programs. In fact, a recent meeting at Lexington, Kentucky saw internship directors from across the country gathering to confer on such matters as the philosophy of internship, financing, organization, relationships among politicians, academics and students, and related matters.