Will Blake’s Post

Where have all the internships gone? There’s been a lot of talk around the decline of internships this year, as top companies have looked to cut costs by reducing the amount of young workers they’re welcoming onto their sought-after summer programs. Per data from student job search site Handshake, some key industries have been cooling on intern programs, with internship postings down in tech (-14%) and financial services (-13%) year-over-year in May ‘24. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gNM8VqsC

Let's talk about a growing concern in the job market: the increasing trend of companies offering unpaid or underpaid internships that expect interns to perform the same duties as full-time employees knowing very well they aren't going to hire them. For young graduates looking to gain experience and break into their chosen field, these internships can seem like a godsend, a foot in the door and a way to get their careers off the ground. But they being taken advantage of.

At the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, we know how important it is for college students to participate in #internships to prepare them for future career success. And yet, there are too few high-quality internships available and more obstacles to getting them, especially for first-gen, limited-income students like the #KesslerScholars we serve.   That’s why the Kessler Scholars Program strives to connect every scholar to at least one transformative educational experience during their undergraduate journey. In a recent survey, nearly half of #KesslerScholar alumni indicated that they completed an #internship as an undergraduate, almost double the completion rate found in this Strada Education Foundation report. We are proud to support #KesslerScholars in their pursuit of #internships and are committed to preparing scholars for post-graduate success.

Internship and employment New and emerging forms of ‘non-standard’ employment are coming to dominate young people’s early labour market experiences. Amongst these, internships are increasingly becoming an integral part of the school-to-work transition. Read more via our blog: https://lnkd.in/gByYg_tx

Happy Internship Awareness Month! This month we celebrate the benefits of internships for both employers and interns. While recruiting and hiring interns can feel like a big undertaking, internships are a proven cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential permanent employees. Interns bring new ideas and fresh perspective, as well as enthusiasm and diverse points of view! #internshipawarenessmonth

Internships are such an important part of the academic experience and allow students to get work experience in their chosen field of study. They allow companies to get fresh perspectives and grow their talent pipeline! Hire an intern today! #internship #workbasedlearning #wbl #studentsuccess

With the first day of summer around the corner, now is the time many organizations start to hire interns. While internships can be mutually beneficial, there is more to consider than just the excitement of bringing on fresh talent. Is your intern entitled to wages, or can they work unpaid? Do you need to offer them benefits? Dive into our Practice Pointer to learn more about internship classification and compliance. https://lnkd.in/e9AZUcda #enhanceyourknowledge #enhancehr #hilbexpertise #internship #summerinterns

Undergraduates who completed a #PaidInternship worked in higher-paying jobs a year after graduation and were more satisfied with their first job. However, gaps continue to exist in access, participation, quality, and equity. Check out Inside Higher Ed’s recent story on “How Higher Ed Leaders Can ‘Build Better Internships,’” highlighting research from the Building Better Internships report: https://lnkd.in/eNuksxy7  

Even though more companies now pay their interns than ever before, it’s clear that the current system remains broken and inequitable. As a product of a working class one parent family, I could never have afforded the privilege of an internship, and I certainly couldn’t have been making decisions on what I would be doing with my life 18 months from now. Today, internships are central to job acquisition, and if the best ones are effectively only available to those who can afford them, that simply reinforces the gap between haves and have-nots. It’s time for change.

Interesting read and take for 2024 and 2025.