Reflect and Discuss the New Dimension of Informal Work – on the Example of Student Internships

Student internships are the most common form of education-related collaboration between Polish academic institutions and employers (Agrotec, 2014). Next to participation in students research circle, membership in various organizations and voluntary work, these are one of the most popular activities that young people undertake to improve their chances on the labor market. In 2013, as much as 65% of them admitted to working as an intern during their studies (Jelonek et al., 2014).

In theory, the high quality of student internships is in the interest of all the parties involved. Simplifying, students hope to improve their knowledge, skills and competences required on the labor market; employers want to recruit well-groomed candidates, and academic institutions aim to provide high quality of education, which is also understood as preparing students to take up employment. In practice, it does not always look in that way – but why?

To what degree do student internships form a new dimension of informal work in contemporary societies? What are student experiences with internships? What are the hallmarks of a high quality student internship? How much are the standards set out in the Polish Apprenticeship and Internship Quality Framework followed by internship providers? Is there a need for improvement in the area of organizing student internships? What are the major challenges posed to academic institutions that face low quality internships? You will find an answer to these and other questions by listening to the presentation delivered by the speaker.