IMPORTANCE OF INTERNSHIPS IN TECHNICAL STUDIES RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental technical education programmes (engineering studies) include the management, use, conservation and protection of the environment among their competencies. Agronomy, forest and environmental engineering can be considered the green engineering programmes among the technical studies typically offered. Internship programmes are a key aspect of the curricula of these studies, with a variable duration between 6 and 18 ECTS credits and generally optional. Internships aim at complementing the education of the students of technical programmes, promoting the acquisition of skills that will enhance their employability and improving their professional capacities, as well as promoting entrepreneurship. This article discusses the importance of internships as complement to engineering studies, especially for environmental, forest and agronomy engineering, and the methods available to evaluate internship training. Finally, it analyses experiences and feedback from students, as well as identified advantages, disadvantages and challenges of internship programmes.