Enriching Internship
T
here was a 30% drop in the availability of internship opportunities in 2020 and the pandemic continues to affect students’ plans. This report explores ways of enriching the experience of student interns when many career plans are on hold.
Internship is important for any university student who wants to gain work experience and job skills before joining the workforce. However, against the background of COVID-19 there has been a sharp fall in work placements and the implementation of government work-from home restrictions has led to the rise of virtual internships.
A group of young people who did virtual internships were interviewed separately. They said the difficulties they faced during virtual internships included little chance to experience a real work environment and culture, ineffective communication and lack of access to resources for learning job skills. An expert in careers from the higher education sector who was interviewed pointed out that internships could adopt a hybrid mode and that it was important to learn and work both virtually and face-to-face, in line with current trends and the demands of industry.
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Dan Cheung, group convenor “I suggest that schools and
NGOs provide other practical learning opportunities apart from internships that involve technology and problem-solving. This could allow students to apply what they have learned in real-life settings. Second, students need training in virtual internship and other skills in order to adapt to the changing working environment. Third, NGOs could develop virtual internship platforms which provide information and matching services.”
Key points from respondents ● 60.7% students thought internships could be 10%-30% virtual. ● 48% had done no internship. ● 20.7% of these had their internships cancelled or postponed. ● 27.3% failed to find an internship. ● 19% wanted internships to be 100% face-to-face. Among the students whose internships went ahead, 54.3% had only virtual internships. 74.2% of these thought it could increase flexibility. 65.3% thought the virtual mode could save money and time. 48.4% said it allowed them keep abreast of digital trends.
Bosco Leung, group member “Businesses and organizations can set up an internship protocol and offer information kits for interns to learn about the nature and background of jobs. Companies could also launch a virtual intern buddy support scheme to introduce company culture to students and allow them to get in touch with colleagues. They can also hold online sessions where interns share their knowledge and strengths with others. Two-way communication during virtual internship is indispensable.” Derek Lee, group member “The government could extend the current overseas internship subsidy scheme to include overseas virtual internships. This would create more opportunities for students to widen their horizons and equip themselves with the various skills needed to face future challenges.”
Report No.55 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Education group Published title Enriching Students' Internship Experiences in the Next Normal Respondents 877 university students who intended to be interns in 2020 were surveyed. 21 students and 5 experts were also interviewed. More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2020/11/30/yi055/ Enquiries Vivian Yeung 3755 7038
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