Search results

1 – 10 of 880
Article
Publication date: 3 August 2021

G. Russell Merz, Jamie Ward, Sufian Qrunfleh and Bud Gibson

The purpose of this paper is to describe the role and characteristics of the summer internship program (Digital Summer Clinic) delivered by Eastern Michigan University. The…

155

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the role and characteristics of the summer internship program (Digital Summer Clinic) delivered by Eastern Michigan University. The authors report the results of an exploratory study of interns participating in the Digital Summer Clinic over a five-year time period. The study captures and analyzes the experiences of interns as expressed in structured interviews and blog posts.

Design/methodology/approach

The study data were text from structured interviews and blog posts capturing the “voice” of the interns. A natural language processing (NLP) analysis of the text corpus, consisting of 43 interviews and blog posts, resulted in the identification of 242 unique stem-terms used by interns in describing the internship experiences. The authors used the JMP Pro 15.2 Text Explorer algorithm (It is defined as a suite of computer programs for statistical analysis developed by the JMP business unit of SAS Institute) to extract the terms that were subsequently transformed and analyzed with factor analysis and regression to address the research questions.

Findings

The factor analysis results found six dimensions or themes, defined by the stem-terms used by student interns, best described the internship experience. The authors then explored the relationship between the six themes and the umbrella term “internship” with multiple regression analysis. The regression findings suggest a hierarchy of effects with the theme “Introducing Professional Opportunities” being the theme most predictive of the umbrella term.

Originality/value

The methodology used within the paper is unique in several ways when compared to other research investigating internship programs. First, it uses NLP analysis for the qualitative analysis of text-based descriptions of student experiences over a five-year time horizon. Second, the data analysis uses transformed text to quantitatively determine the major dimensions or themes expressed by the interns about their experiences in the Summer Clinic program. Finally, the relative importance of the themes identified provided direction for future program development.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2013

Tonino Pencarelli, Simone Splendiani and Daniela Cini

The purpose of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, to point out the concepts of quality and value; on the other hand to explain how university placement services can increase…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, to point out the concepts of quality and value; on the other hand to explain how university placement services can increase the value created for the various stakeholders of a University.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on empirical study carried out through the analysis of the placement service of the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo” through “participant observation”, related to the experience gained by the authors within the service.

Findings

This study reveals that the placement service at the University of Urbino is innovative in terms of organization and management. The involvement of all actors in design and implementation of the initiatives is a strategic factor, crucial for meeting the expectations of stakeholders, raising levels of quality and satisfaction and, ultimately, the value created.

Originality/value

Although limited to only one placement case – the University of Urbino – the research presents original features regarding the application of service management principles to an institution like the University, which is increasingly directed towards value creation for its stakeholders. This application appears necessary given that increased competition among universities is based not only on traditional core activities – research and training – but also on the ability to contribute to student employability after the obtainment of a degree.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 February 2014

Carl P. Maertz Jr, Philipp A. Stoeberl and Jill Marks

“What kinds of internships are possible?” “How should we decide whether to utilize internships, and if so, how can we ensure they will pay off?” The purpose of this paper is to…

16429

Abstract

Purpose

“What kinds of internships are possible?” “How should we decide whether to utilize internships, and if so, how can we ensure they will pay off?” The purpose of this paper is to help answer these key questions facing talent management professionals, educators, and interns.

Design/methodology/approach

This is achieved by reviewing the scattered literature to distill the lessons regarding internships for each of these stakeholders. First, the paper better defines internships through enumerating 11 key dimensions, helping give all internship stakeholders a common language to clarify communication. Second, the paper synthesizes and lists the potential benefits and costs/pitfalls of internships for interns, schools, and employers to provide a fuller view of internships from all stakeholder perspectives. Third, the paper summarizes recommendations to help stakeholders maximize the actual benefits obtained from internships while minimizing the costs and avoiding common pitfalls.

Findings

Many benefits for interns have been identified in the literature. These can be categorized as job-related benefits, career-related benefits, and networking/job market benefits. For most interns, the costs of the internship are minimal. Nevertheless, potential pitfalls stem from the fact that employers and interns often do not have consistent or shared expectations regarding the internship. The benefits of internships for schools can be significant. These include filling an important modern need for experiential and vocational learning. For employers, hiring an intern for a full-time position after the assignment can lead to savings in the areas of recruitment and selection.

Originality/value

The paper provides stakeholders with “one-stop shopping” for the best general advice about creating and growing successful internships.

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2023

Milind Pimprikar, Myrna Cunningham, Shirish Ravan and Simon Lambert

Indigenous peoples represent one of the most vulnerable groups and need access as well as hands-on experience in the use of emerging Earth observations (EO)-based DRR solutions at…

Abstract

Purpose

Indigenous peoples represent one of the most vulnerable groups and need access as well as hands-on experience in the use of emerging Earth observations (EO)-based DRR solutions at the community level, while balancing this learning with traditional indigenous knowledge (IK). However, complicating any engagement between EO and IK is the reality that IKs are diverse and dynamic, with location-specific relevance and accuracy. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic caused complex risks and cascading effects for which the world was not prepared. Thus, there is a need to examine the lessons learned and motivate emerging EO-based innovations and demonstrations related to DRR and climate change adaptation.

Design/methodology/approach

Hence, this study aims to undertake an in-depth assessment of IK related to DRR covering relevant UN instruments and provides state-of-the-art of opportunities presented by EO-based tools and solutions.

Findings

The overall research strategy was designed to integrate key components of IK for DRR in a coherent and logical way, with those offered by the EO technology developers and providers. There are several EO tools accessible that are relevant to integrate IK and complement DRR. The study examined and identified challenges and barriers to implement workable and replicable EO solutions in pursuit of resilience.

Originality/value

The key findings of this study will help create a balanced approach by acknowledging the importance of IK for DRR with co-development, co-creation and use of culturally relevant EO data and tools for sustainable innovation, capacity building and youth empowerment. The technological inequalities appear to be growing, and it would be challenging to meet the Sendai Framework indicators.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1968

WARD SYBOUTS

What is internship and how can a school justify the expenditure involved? In order to answer these questions distinction is made between the internship as a vehicle to maintain…

Abstract

What is internship and how can a school justify the expenditure involved? In order to answer these questions distinction is made between the internship as a vehicle to maintain, the status quo and as a type of training which will develop an educational leader capable of improving an educational system. If improving education is to be an underlying objective of the internship, then the intern must be assigned to responsibilities which involve him with staff and program development, rather than relegating him to clerical chores which do not enhance his stature. By proper planning and assignment the intern and the employing school system can derive mutual benefit. The educational practitioner, the intern and the university coordinator should work cooperatively as they plan and conduct the internship experience. Such cooperative efforts, supported with a clear understanding of the basic purpose to be served, will prevent the internship from becoming a training ground for routine and clerical chores. The internship is warranted only if designed to develop educational leaders.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2022

Edward C. Fletcher, Erik M. Hines, Donna Y. Ford, Tarek C. Grantham and James L. Moore III

This paper aims to examine the role of school stakeholders (e.g. advisory board members, school administrators, parents, teachers and school board members) at a 99% black academy…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the role of school stakeholders (e.g. advisory board members, school administrators, parents, teachers and school board members) at a 99% black academy in promoting the achievement and broadening participation of high school black students in engineering career pathways.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors followed a qualitative case study design to explore the experiences of school stakeholders (e.g. students, district and school personnel and community partners) associated with the implementation of the career academy (Stake, 2006; Yin, 1994).

Findings

The authors found that the school relied heavily on the support of the community in the form of an advisory board – including university faculty and industry leaders – to actively develop culturally responsive strategies (e.g. American College Test preparation, work-based learning opportunities) to ensure the success of black students interested in pursuing career pathways in engineering. Thus, school stakeholders in the academy of engineering served as authentic leaders who inspired academy students by serving as role models and setting examples through what they do as engineering professionals. It was quite evident that the joy and fulfillment that these authentic leaders gained from using their talents directly or indirectly inspired students in the academy to seek out and cultivate the talents they are good at and passionate about as well (Debebe, 2017). Moreover, the career academy provided environmental or sociocultural conditions that promoted the development of learners’ gifts and talents (Plucker and Barab, 2005). Within that context, the goals of career academy school stakeholders were to support students in the discovery of what they are good at doing and to structure their educational experiences to cultivate their gifts into talents.

Research limitations/implications

It is also important to acknowledge that this study is not generalizable to the one million career academy students across the nation. Yet, the authors believe researchers should continue to examine the career academy advisory board as a source of capital for engaging and preparing diverse learners for success post-high school. Further research is needed to investigate how advisory boards support students’ in school and postsecondary outcomes, particularly for diverse students.

Practical implications

The authors highlight promising practices for schools to implement in establishing a diverse talent pipeline.

Social implications

On a theoretical level, the authors found important insights into the possibility of black students benefiting from a culturally responsive advisory board that provided social and cultural capital (e.g. aspirational, navigational and social) resources for their success.

Originality/value

While prior researchers have studied the positive impact of teachers in career academies as a contributor to social capital for students (Lanford and Maruco, 2019) and what diverse students bring to the classroom as a form of capital Debebe(Yosso, 2005), research has not identified the role of the advisory board (in its efforts to connect the broader community) as a vehicle for equipping ethnically and racially diverse students who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with social capital. Within that sense, the authors believe the advisory board at Stanton Academy relied on what the authors term local community capital to provide resources and supports for black students’ successful transition from high school into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related college and career pathways.

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1989

Fred Neumann

This article proposes that student internships should be expandedto form part of a specifically co‐operative learning programme: repeatedstep‐out periods of work with a…

Abstract

This article proposes that student internships should be expanded to form part of a specifically co‐operative learning programme: repeated step‐out periods of work with a co‐operating employer at different stages of a college educational programme. This proposal stems from an IIA recommendation of internships as a means of attracting students into the profession. A detailed scheme for achieving this is described.

Details

Managerial Auditing Journal, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-6902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2024

Yuting Cui, Fanghui Huang, Zhiqun Zhao and Fan Gao

Firstly, this study diagnosed professional competence amongst Chinese vocational students within a broad range of the manufacturing sectors; then, the authors examined how…

Abstract

Purpose

Firstly, this study diagnosed professional competence amongst Chinese vocational students within a broad range of the manufacturing sectors; then, the authors examined how different types of P-E fit (job, organisation and vocation) and internship quality jointly shape the newly acquired professional competences of interns.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilised the COMET methodology to conduct a large-scale assessment of professional competence amongst 961 graduates from vocational colleges who had successfully completed internships. Participants actively engaged in the data collection process by responding to questionnaires that sought contextual information concurrently.

Findings

The majority of students have attained fundamental functional competencies, indicating their fulfillment of basic requirements. However, there is a tendency to overlook the cultivation of shaping competence. Three types of P-E fit and task characteristics are positively correlated with professional competence. The indirect relationship between P-E fit and professional competence mediated by task characteristics was verified through P-V fit and P-J fit except for P-O fit. Overall, the model explains 39.2% of the variance in professional competence.

Originality/value

“How to promote professional competence” has been highlighted as an important topic in vocational education. This paper contributes to identify the characteristics of a quality internship program for vocational colleges and firms. These insights are important in considering a student-centred approach, design internships programmes that better fit their own abilities, needs and vocations, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to implement internships and thus, enhance students' professional development.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 66 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Hilary M Jones and Lorna J Warnock

This paper outlines a doctoral internship programme introduced for students researching Mechanistic Biology in the Department of Biology, University of York, UK. The programme…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper outlines a doctoral internship programme introduced for students researching Mechanistic Biology in the Department of Biology, University of York, UK. The programme forms part of the White Rose Doctoral Training Programme (DTP), a collaboration between the three “White Rose” Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York in the North of England. It provides an analysis of the UK context in which the new biotechnology doctoral internships initiative sits and describes the pilot phase of the Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) programme and the introduction of the full doctoral PIPS internship programme. The purpose of this paper is to examine best practice in the planning and management of internships with particular interest in doctoral programmes, with a discussion on the challenges presented by cognate and non-cognate internships.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses as a case study, the introduction of PIPS for the DTP in Mechanistic Biology, hosted by the White Rose Consortium of Universities (York, Sheffield and Leeds) and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). It also considers good practice from around the world, and relates these to the work-based learning literature.

Findings

The paper outlines the processes and resources used to secure PIPS internships, and evaluates their success against BBSRC’s objective to help early career researchers to understand the context of their research and expose them to the range of opportunities available after graduation. The authors describe an initial pilot study, challenges and opportunities provided by the internships and feedback from students in the programme.

Research limitations/implications

Though the number of students in the pilot study was very limited, all students had a greater awareness particularly of their leadership, project management, organisational and team working capabilities following the three-month internship and were more receptive to the consideration of careers outside of academia.

Originality/value

The authors offer recommendations from their own experiences of initiating these doctoral internships which may be useful to others implementing non-cognate internship programmes at their own institutions, whilst being mindful that programmes in other countries may face different challenges.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 January 2023

Cecilia Albert and Maria A. Davia

This paper addresses the relevance of job search methods and strategies in determining vertical mismatch and the risk of underusing skills or knowledge in first jobs amongst…

1568

Abstract

Purpose

This paper addresses the relevance of job search methods and strategies in determining vertical mismatch and the risk of underusing skills or knowledge in first jobs amongst graduates from bachelor's and master's programmes in Spain. Support from universities (via internships and career services) is compared to support from public institutions and informal strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the 2019 University Graduate Job Placement Survey. The dependent variables are estimated with a bivariate probit model with sample selection on a subsample of graduates who were not working at graduation.

Findings

Internships and university career employment offices significantly improve the quality of first job matches. Job banks and public examinations also contribute to finding well-matched first positions, while for public employment services, results are mixed. When the job search is not supported by institutions, graduates generally do worse finding their first jobs, particularly when temporary employment agencies are involved. There are also large differences in mismatch risks across fields of study.

Practical implications

If more graduates found their first jobs through internships and university job placement services, educational mismatch rates would decrease substantially. Further collaboration between universities and employers for the provision of high-quality internships may foster their conversion into regular, well-matched jobs. Industrial policies addressed to knowledge-based economic activities would enhance the creation of highly skilled positions. Further orientation towards STEM degrees is required to improve imbalances between supply and demand for graduate labour in Spain.

Originality/value

Evidence about education mismatch among master's degree graduates is very scarce. This paper compares them to bachelor's degree graduates. It addresses two complementary types of education mismatch and takes into account potential self-selection into post-graduation job search.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 65 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

1 – 10 of 880