Shaping the future of work with remote internships

By Learning Connected

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on students accessing internship opportunities. An internship is a period of work experience offered by organisations for people to gain an insight into a particular industry and can support young people and adults in making more informed career decisions about their future career paths.¹ They provide high-impact experiential learning opportunities where students create connections between their studies and the real-world. Internships can enhance key employability skills such as communication skills, problem solving skills, technical skills, teamwork skills and creativity.² Students who have completed relevant and meaningful internships are more likely to secure employment and earn more after the first five years of leaving university.³

Research by the Sutton Trust found that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed towards many organisations, particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), cancelling internship and work placements.⁴ 15% of undergraduate students reported that the pandemic had limited their access to university careers services, and 46% said the pandemic adversely impacted on their ability to gain graduate employment. These interrelated factors create obstacles to the job market. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in both the labour market and within our wider society. It is crucial that there is an increased focus on promoting fair and equal access to internships and work experience opportunities for all students to promote a more just society.

The pandemic has accelerated a shift towards the provision of remote internships, where students can work virtually. Remote internships bring many benefits to students including:

• Developing key employability and digital skills.
• Promoting cross-cultural understanding through collaboratively working with a more diverse global workforce.
• Working from anywhere as long as students have access to an appropriate device and have a reliable internet connection.
• Reducing the carbon footprint of students due to limited business travel.
• Broadening students’ access to specific industries. Removing the geographic and economic barriers that exclude many students from engaging in traditional internships due to constraints related to visa issuance, time or money.
• Introducing a flexible work schedule where students can work alongside their studies.

What we do

Learning Connected catalyses collective action for social impact through bringing remote internships from social enterprises to universities. Starting in spring 2022, Learning Connected will offer SOAS students remote micro-internships to enhance their employability skills for careers in an increasingly international environment. The micro-internships are fully funded and involve short-term project-based assignments from social enterprises. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate equitably with and accelerate the impact of social enterprises from around the world.

Learning Connected

Learning Connected empowers people to take ownership of their future and shape the world for the better. Learning Connected provides individuals worldwide with opportunities to create solutions to challenges through capacity building for social impact. We offer remote international internships, conferences, hackathons, workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities. We work with companies, educational institutions, governments and charities to develop capacity for change. We encourage cross-cultural understanding to promote mutual respect, diversity and inclusivity.

Learning-connected.org

References

1. McManus, A., & Feinstein, A. H. (2014). Internships and Occupational Socialization: What are Students Learning? Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 35(0). Retrieved from https://absel-ojs- ttu.tdl.org/absel/index.php/absel/article/view/396
2. Ismail, Z. (2018). Benefits of Internships for Interns and Host Organisations. K4D Helpdesk Report. Birmingham UK: University of Birmingham. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b3b5de3ed915d33c7d58e52/Internships.pdf
3. Saniter, N., & Siedler, T. (2014). Door Opener or Waste of Time? The Effects of Student Internships on Labor Market Outcomes, IZA Discussion Papers 8141, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp8141.html
4. Montacute, R., & Holt-White, E. (2020). Research Brief: July 2020: COVID-19 and Social Mobility Impact Brief #5:Graduate Recruitment and Access to the Workplace. The Sutton Trust. Retrieved from https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Access-to-the-Workplace-Impact-Brief.pdf