A Critical Reflection of the Value of Work Placements
Word Count: 967
An internship is a directed, practical learning experience, outside of the normal classroom setting, in which students sharpen skills, gain experience through work on advanced productions, apply classroom learning to professional settings or projects, and learn first-hand how professional companies or organizations operate (Palomar College, 2005). It is generally know that many universities offer sandwich degree courses and this paper will critically examine the value of work placements undertaken by universities students.
The popularity of work placements and internship has grown in the recent years as young graduates found it hard to secure a job. In 2011 UK government offered ‘youth contract’ to help young people getting jobs and this was initiated when youth unemployment has hit a record high, with more than one million young people out of work in the UK, and applicants far outweighing the number of entry-level and graduate vacancies ( Bennetts and Emilie, 2011 ). There are a number of benefits of work placements to both students and organisation offering internships. According to Gazzard (2011), ‘Placements can provide industry with a cost-effective labour pool and develop a pipeline of motivated and competent future employees.’ An article published in Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology (2013) states that internship experience not only benefits the company that a student work for, but internships give students an opportunity to figure out if their chosen career path is the one they would like to follow or is there any other function of the business they would like to work for instead. It also mentions that companies love to see students who have had real life experiences and who have been educated on the subject outside the classroom. Another benefit stated by Fuller & Schoenberger, (1991) cited in Narayanan (2010) is that internship programs ‘provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the “real world,” and work experiences that may prove useful in finding full-time employment after graduation.’ However, the success of internship programs depends on various factors. Anson and Forsberg (1990) cited in Narayanan (2010), identified the importance of faculty or work supervisor for internship effectiveness. The proposed that having a mentor is critical even if mentor-protégé relationship was limited to short period of time. They also state that there was a consistency in examining what students find rewarding about an internship. The results were consistent with what employees find satisfying in a permanent position. Similarly, Kurt and David (2010) mentions that assigning the mentoring role to someone other than a manager is preferable because interns often want to discuss matters that are directly work-related. A common term, work-based learning (WBL) is used to describe knowledge and skills gained from work experience. WBL encourages a “more participative, learner-centred approach, which places an emphasis on direct engagement, rich learning events and the construction of meaning by learners” (Lee et al., 2000, p. 225) cited in (Renganathan et al, 2011). Moreover, internship programs give students an opportunity to experience working in a real-world environment and offer them a chance to apply theoretical knowledge to their role which they learnt as undergraduates in university (Hughes,
1998). In return, internship complements their degree programme by providing added practical learning experience. ‘Learning is therefore seen as a two-way process whereby practical experience gained during internship can complement studies undertaken earlier in the universities’ (Little, 2004).
On the other hand, according to survey undertaken by Universiti Teknologi Petronas (Malaysia) to investigate students’ perception of the effectiveness of an industrial placement, many interns expressed that they were taken advantage of and were made to do pointless tasks that did not give them any additional knowledge (Renganathan et al, 2011). This is backed by an article published on FindEmployment (2013) which states, ‘Often, interns flit from one department to another and are regarded as an ‘assistant’ rather than an apprentice, meaning that they learn basic, menial tasks that are of limited value. Although it is fundamental that interns are given tasks that give them a realistic insight into how the industry functions, it is also crucial that they learn how a particular department and business operates’. It also states that some companies take advantage of interns and make then do the most tedious tasks that barely enhance their skills. This result in many interns feeling frustrated by the internship experience and think they haven’t gained any valuable skills. They get trapped in one department and their exposure to the company overall is limited (FindEmployment 2013). According to Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2011), some students are offered permanent position in the company while being on the internship, which, if accepted by the students, reduces the chances of completing their degree which might cost them to grow in their career in future.
However, there is enough evidence to suggest that most industrial placements and internship programmes prove to be vital in developing a student’s skills, knowledge and personality. It allows them to experience working in a real work place and provides them freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. Internships also helps students to choose the right career path for themselves, if they do not like their role in the internship or the industry they were in, they can always opt to select a different role once they graduate. It also allows them to take work-based learning back into university in order to complete their degrees with higher grades. Students can make use of important contacts made during the internship to obtain references for their CVs and to apply for permanent roles after they graduate. Some students also achieve conditional offers from the employer to come back and work for them after the completion of their degree. Generally, graduates with some sort of work experience always stand out in the job market and attract attention from potential employers.

Reference List * Bennetts, Emilie (2011), The benefits of apprentices and work experience interns, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, p 38-40. * FindEmployment (2013), ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Internships’ Available at: http://www.findemployment.com/graduates/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internships 2013 (Accessed 05/11/2013). * Gazzard, James (2011) , Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, p135-150. * Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (2011), ‘Human Factors/Ergonomics Internships’ Available at: http://www.hfes.org/web/educationalresources/internships.html#Disadvantages, (Accessed 07/11/2013). * Hughes, C. (1998), “Practicum learning: perils of the authentic workplace”, Higher Education
Research & Development, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 207-27. * Lee, A., Boud, D. and Cohen, R. (2000), “Experience-based learning”, Understanding Adult Training and Education, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, pp. 225-39. * Little, B. (2004), Employability and Work-Based Learning, The Higher Education Academy, York. * Narayanan VK, Olk P, Fukami C (2010), Academy of Management Learning & Education, Vol. 9 Issue 1, p61-80. * Palomar Community College (2005) ‘Internship Program’ Available at: http://www.palomar.edu/communications/Internship_Program.htm (Accessed 02/11/2013). * Reding Kurt F and O’Bryan David (2013), Strategic Finance, Vol. 95 Issue 10, p43-48. * Sumathi Renganathan, Zainal Ambri Bin Abdul Karim and Chong Su Li (2011), Students’ perception of industrial internship programme, Education + Training, Vol. 54 Iss: 2/3, pp.180 – 191.