Is Summer Training for Students Just a Mockery? Let's Brainstorm Ways to Add Real Value

Transforming Summer Training/Internship into a Value-Adding Activity

Can we seriously think of turning the mockery called summer training/internship for professional students into a value-adding activity instead of the current level of mockery by all stakeholders? We need to discuss this as a brainstorming session. Interested?

Can someone in the group sponsor a place for the same? One of the Saturdays/Sundays/holidays may be convenient for those who are truly interested in the topic.

The Value of Internships for Students

What is in it for the student—learning? A certificate they can otherwise get even without stepping into the office? Unless we have something tangible for the student to gain from it, you can't expect them to take it seriously.

Internships are usually non-serious; I wouldn't say "mockery," though. Companies are generally non-serious about internships, not wanting to spend time and resources, and non-seriousness is what they get. The way to improve this situation would be for companies to provide meaningful tasks, mentors, and rewards for the interns.

Regards

My question is how to make the summer training meaningful to all concerned. I strongly feel that we from the industry can make it meaningful if the universities and institutes are not serious about it. It is ultimately the industry that is going to employ the students mostly.

Bodhisutra is right. Industries have to take responsibility for the situation. As long as the industries do not pay for the interns, there is no commitment on their part to make good use of them. I had experienced the same over 50 years ago while doing summer internships as part of the Engineering Degree. We were mainly allowed to watch workers operating the machines, etc. When an operator allowed me to use a bench drill, the supervisor asked the worker why he had allowed me to operate the machine, affecting production. The worker responded, "I do not like the boy to be watching me all day long and wasting his time; let him gain some experience of drilling molds; if my bonus suffers, so be it." In other departments, like the foundry, safety aspects came in the way of gaining hands-on experience. Institutions knew how challenging it was, and also, the internship did not contribute any marks towards the degree.

That said, in the field of management, students can be asked to reflect on their experience and observations and write about the problems faced, etc., and that can be graded and made a part of the degree qualification.

Regards

I would tend to totally disagree with you that educational institutes could afford to be non-serious about these internships while the industry has to take the lead because it has to employ them. Let's understand that it's high time that education in our country has to be more meaningful.

The Importance of Industry and Education Synergy

We cannot examine only internships or summer training in isolation. The synergy between industry and educational institutions will come about when there is mutual appreciation for each other. Educational institutes have to take the first step and work their way out from the queasy grips of apathy expressed by those run by the government and total disinterest in the 'conversion' of students into making them employable, by those run in the private sector.

The Role of Faculty Development Programs

Short-term gains are sought by conducting personality development programs, which are an eyewash because they are always done at the fag end of the programs. I have been suggesting Faculty Development Programs with certain rigor, where the faculty have to forget their 9-5 stand and work their way up into becoming effective teachers by imbibing more from the corporate world and spending extra time understanding and comprehending the expectations of the corporate sector. This way, whatever subject of academic interest they teach, they should be able to draw out examples from their observations and not address academics in a naive theoretical manner where the student does not have any grooming.

Accountability in Summer Training

They should be made accountable for their summer training instead and strictly monitored by a faculty member who should coordinate with the corporate and the guide nominated there. I shall be glad if views could be expressed freely so that I could add value to my process of thinking.

My thanks to those who have commented on the topic. Mr. Nashbramhall has shed some light that the situation was no better more than 50 years back. With the mushrooming of 'professional' courses and colleges to make money out of the unprecedented number of students getting admission into them, and the mandatory nature of the summer/industrial training, where are we going?

Current State of Summer Training

What is the percentage of the student population who benefit from the summer training? As HR managers (with good hearts), most of us don't refuse certificates to the students approaching us so that they are able to complete the courses. Some of us helped with some ready-made reports which the students photocopied/printed without even going through them. This is very much in the knowledge of the colleges/universities, and they don't care. The parents and the students would like the course to be completed by crook or by fluke. I tried taking this up in many academic/management forums (in UP and Uttarakhand) but without any outcome. Now I am taking this through this forum so that something useful to the students can be designed.

Involving Stakeholders for Improvement

Can we start talking about something and later involve the other stakeholders of this activity, viz. students, parents, academicians, to refine and implement the identified process?

Regards,
Devarajan

I did not read the comments of Mr. Dhruva Trivedy prior to posting my comments. I agree that educationists cannot be disinterested, but they are. I am making a sweeping generalized statement, fully knowing there are exceptions like the IITs, IIMs, and a small number of equally reputed and responsible colleges.

I am getting convinced from the comments of the expert friends that the need for a review of the summer training activity is an absolute necessity. Maybe a setup like HRD Network can plan one of their national events to discuss the subject.

I agree with the views of Mr. Simhan. The situation has not changed much, and there may be very few exceptions. The summer internships are merely treated as academic rituals. Neither the institution is interested, nor the industry is interested in developing the students, nor is the student himself interested. These are the three stakeholders who need to be involved in any effort to make summer internships meaningful.

Initiating Meaningful Internships

It is first the institution that should initiate discussions with the industry and prepare a framework on the issue of how to go about it. Probably, the apex bodies of commerce and industry can play an effective role in this.

Regards,
B. Saikumar

Saikumar has correctly identified the three key stakeholders. I had attached my presentation on Internship at https://www.citehr.com/393264-manual...ml#post1795848 last year. There is a slight difference between Internship and Work Placement.

Feedback on Presentation

I would very much welcome feedback on my presentation. The presentation was given to students, and some academics attended. I have not tried to give the same presentation to people from any industry. If any of you want to make use of the presentation, please feel free to do so. If you use it, feedback on where you use it and how it was received would be appreciated.

Regards,

Another pointer - companies that provide pre-placement offers to interns who fulfill certain performance criteria gain a lot from internships, and students are dead serious about them. If the company cannot offer a pre-placement offer, there could possibly be some recognition or a cash award at the end of the internship.

What Can Companies Gain from Internships?

But then, the question is, what can the company gain from two months of a college student with some theoretical knowledge at best? Or rather, what should a smart company expect to gain from interns and what should it do to create conditions to make it happen?

The question raised by you in your post above about the benefits of providing short-term internships has been highlighted in my presentation. For more details, please see [What are the benefits to my organisation?](http://graduatetalentpool.bis.gov.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/About_the_Graduate_Talent_Pool/What_are_the_benefits_to_my_organisation/efeeLkd)

Let me give you an anecdotal example. This example covers an issue raised about a student's role in making an internship a valuable experience. An MNC had taken two students studying for a Marketing degree. One student was quite good at handling computer software like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. He was also a keen learner and wanted to make headway. To cut the story short, both were sent to help at a conference of top directors. The keen learner helped create a database of all the delegates, and the other was happy to act as a receptionist. The former also made useful contacts and built up his network. People who got to know his capabilities in using software would go to him for help. The boss noticed that and asked the student to run short courses for others about using the products. The company appointed him, after his graduation, as a Product Manager. The company appointed him without spending on recruitment costs.

Regards.

I have gone through your internship PPT. This is an excellent and lucid presentation on the objectives, responsibilities, and benefits of an internship to all three stakeholders. I have always believed that an internship provides a platform for learning new skills and relating theory with practice. I also know instances of students who took their internships seriously, understood its value addition, and completed their internships with commitment. They were able to make themselves more employable since they could successfully and satisfactorily answer the employers who showed interest in their projects and quizzed them on it in the interviews. This was in contrast to those who showed mere academic interest in them during their summer internships, as employers could find it to be an exercise in window dressing and found them lacking in the traits of commitment, involvement, and learning. Yes, it enhances the chances of employability. Thanks for sharing it.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
Navi Mumbai

You are right about the rewards for commitment when undergoing an internship or work placement. In the UK, unlike in India (where there is a competitive exam for joining medical school), students are chosen based on their academic grades and their performance in an interview with a panel. Individuals who have completed suitable work placements can include that experience on their CVs and discuss it during interviews.

Benefits of Undertaking Work Placement

As mentioned in the benefits of undertaking work placement at http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki...ork_experience, a student can determine whether a certain field is of interest to them. I have observed students pursuing Engineering or Law degrees because of family recommendations, only to switch fields once they enter the workforce. Some make this change due to lack of enjoyment in their original field, while others do so because they perceive limited opportunities in that field ("The grass is always greener on the other side," as the saying goes).

Thank you.

Thank you for offering a place for discussions. Unfortunately, I am in Chennai and may not be able to come there. Perhaps those in Pune can meet, discuss, and share the outcomes with the members. Similarly, other locations can also engage in similar activities. Involving many stakeholders such as students, academicians, industry representatives, and parents of students, and brainstorming on this would be of great support.

Regards,
Devarajan