“Try before you buy “– An introduction to work placements and internshipsby Caroline Kennedy, on behalf of Graduate Careers ireland
Published 6 October 2009
Work experience placements offer a win win situation for both students and employers. Students keen to gain practical work experience have the opportunity to augment their theoretical experience and employers get the opportunity to “try before they buy” and recruit graduates in the future from their pool of road- tested interns.
Structured work placements are well established in Ireland and successful with both multinationals and SMEs. University of Limerick places 2,000 students with over 1,600 employers every year, UCC places 900 students and DCU places over 800 students on INTRA placements.
Increasingly employers are recruiting their graduate intake from those they have had on work experience. An AGR Survey in the UK found that 80% of employers recruited students with the aim of attracting them back as graduates and indeed in Ireland some organisations have up to 90 per cent of their interns and placement students return as graduates the following year.
Types of Work Experience:
Work Experience/ Sandwich Year/ Internship
A College organized Work Placement or internship is a three-way partnership between the Student, the Employer and the University. The placements are formal and structured and offer students the opportunity to work on a full time basis for a period of anywhere from 6 weeks to one year. Students generally work on a defined project that allows them put into practice the theoretical experience they have gained whilst in college.
As it is structured, employers are required to monitor, supervise and appraise the student. They will be visited by an academic supervisor and the student will maintain a learning log. If the placements last for between 6 – 12 months passing the year usually depends on a satisfactory placement report.
Work Shadowing
Work shadowing involves a student observing a member of staff at work. It allows the student to gain an insight into the role, the requirements for the role and the organisation. It is usually for a much shorter space of time than a work placement but the student as an observer has the opportunity to shadow higher level work than they would as a work placement students.
Insight days:
Some major employers offer insight days during which students spend the day meeting both trainees and managers allowing them to gain an insight into the organisation, the role and what is required of a graduate.
Work based project:
A specific employer led piece of assessed work.
Part-time and casual work
A significant percentage of students work on a part time basis throughout their time at College. This experience helps to fund their time at College but it also serves to develop their employability or transferable skills and demonstrates to graduate employers that they have initiative together with practical experience.
Voluntary Work/ Community Placements
Voluntary work or community placements are generally undertaken with not for profit companies, local schools or charities. 10 reasons to recruit an intern :
· Cost: Interns offer a cost effective and flexible recruitment solution . Employers mindful of headcount issues can recruit students on a short term basis – an added advantage of interns is that they receive lower salaries and are not entitled to the same fringe benefits as permanent employees.
· Resources: Interns are an extra resource and can be an excellent way to meet the demands of peak work-loads, to complete special projects that would take time from permanent employees and free existing to focus on more demanding assignments. · Pre-screen Employees. An internship offers a unique opportunity for employers to gain an accurate evaluation of the skill level, ability and organisational fit of an individual before making a graduate job offer. · Skill Development: Employers consistently report that “transferable skills” are lacking in graduates. Work placements are an excellent way of developing these soft skills –team-working, communication, decision-making and commercial awareness. · Brand awareness: Internships are an effective way for employers to sell themselves as an employer of choice for graduates. Interns returning to campus are a fantastic recruiting tool as “on campus ambassadors” for the organisation. · Staff development: Professional development opportunities exist for staff who are interested in mentoring, monitoring or coaching students. · Links with third level institutions: Employer/College ties are strengthened and communication is improved. · Approach to work: Interns are enthusiastic people who will provide new ideas and approaches. · Gain an Outside Perspective. An intern can bring a fresh approach to situations and provide insightful solutions from an external point of view. · Community Outreach. By hiring an intern, the employer is highlighting its commitment to the community.
What work can an intern do?
Typical projects undertaken by interns include:
· Market research
· Administrative assistance
· IT / Software development
· Web Development
· Graphic Design
· Research projects
· Marketing
· Journalism
· Media
· Assistance with accounts, Interested? How to get started.
· Establish what areas of the business an undergraduate could add value.
· Research which third level institutions run relevant programmes
· Speak to the relevant Careers Service who can link you with the appropriate work placement officers. A full list of third level Higher Education Institutions in Ireland is available at Www.graduatecareersireland.com |
