Benefits of Internships for Interns and Host Organisations

Abstract

Internships enable students to acquire skills, which cannot be learned in the classroom environment, while employers obtain access to low-cost labour and reduced recruitment costs (Galloway, Marks, & Chillas, 2014; Holyoak, 2013; Maertz, Stoeberl, & Marks, 2014). Interns develop interpersonal skills, team-working skills, professionalism and customer management experience. Students also improve their communication, confidence and self-efficacy. Those with internship experience are more likely to find jobs and earn more (Saniter & Siedler, 2014). In the information technology (IT) sector internships provide valuable on-the-job training that helps students to develop entrepreneurial skills and prepares them for self-employment in this sector (Varghese et al., 2012). There is little evidence that internships can foster professional networks that facilitate knowledge transfer, although the potential for this is acknowledged.