INTERNSHIPS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

The research on internships in New Zealand is rather scant and needs to be brought up-to-date and respond to the changing tertiary, business and political environment. In light of the findings by a research committee commissioned by New Zealand Government, the importance of internships has once more been highlighted very clearly i.e. Government wants relevance of degrees to the business environment, productivity of graduates to be measured and graduates are market-ready.
On the other hand, prospective employers have been placing an ever increasing level of importance on their applicants’ competency. Generic skills such as communication, quantitative analysis, information technology, problem solving, and ability to work with other people are required parts of most business jobs. Internships potentially provide opportunities to hone these skills as well as help develop profession related technical skills, which is a great combination.

The aim of this research is to explore the benefits of internships for business graduates and how it provides them with practical skills and experiences in preparation for their future careers. Also, provide suitable guidelines for both tertiary institutes and businesses for providing successful internships.
The author utilised a literature survey for this exploratory study to investigate previous research conducted on the value and importance of internships, challenges facing students, business owners and tertiary institutes to run successful internships programs and barriers hindering internship programs. This has been further complemented by conducting focus groups to come up with practical results to aid in providing recommendations and guidelines for businesses and tertiary institutions.
Research findings indicates that internships provide students, employers, and universities with a variety of benefits. Students are evidently the most important beneficiary of internship outcomes. In view of that, to fulfil the prospective employer’s requirements, business schools have been using internships as a means of providing their students with practical skills/experiences and preparing them for their future careers. The outcomes of an effective internship program, however, should not be limited to providing and/or enhancing students’ skills. To face their real-life challenges, students should also possess the necessary personal/business values.