Better Access, Better Outcomes: Leveling the Internship Playing Field

We recently had the privilege of presenting at the Association of American Colleges and Universities' (AAC&U) Network for Academic Renewal conference in San Francisco. In keeping with this year's theme, "Creating a 21st Century General Education - Responding to Seismic Shifts," GreenFig addressed the role of internship opportunities in promoting better outcomes and creating better access for students.

A few of the key takeaways:

• 52% of hiring managers say that they would be much more likely to hire a recent graduate with an internship or apprenticeship experience – placing a higher value on these professional workplace experiences than service learning, studying abroad, extracurriculars, GPA, and even major.
• While pre-professional experiences like internships and apprenticeships have become virtually essential to landing a “good job,” participation in these experiences is tilted in favor of non-first-generation students and more affluent students, 65% of whom will complete an internship by graduation as compared to 42% of first-generation students.
• Based on these findings, it seems true that “to get a good job, it takes a good job,” but among those who participate in internships, results are not consistent. Internships have a low self-reported impact on outcomes along with higher-order learning, integrative learning, and learning with peers. Too often, internships result in students being left out, lost without guidance, and lonely without peers or mentors.

At GreenFig, we prepare students to step into careers they love and provide professional development for the current and future workforce. GreenFig offers an accessible term-long program we call an Apprentorship™ – a mentored, apprenticeship-like experience. The Apprentorship provides students with the opportunity to learn from industry experts, receive hands-on technology training and certifications, and are able to work with a real company on a project where they are able to combine all of the skills and lessons that they learned throughout the term. It helps students feel more confident, more prepared, and more qualified when entering the workforce.

As adjacent industries continue to evolve, higher education must not be left behind.

Interested in learning more about our Apprentorship programs? Click here.