ERIC Number: EJ1240585
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1363-9080
EISSN: N/A
Open Market Internships: What Do Intermediaries Offer?
Journal of Education and Work, v33 n1 p33-47 2020
Participation in open market internships by higher education students and graduates has significantly expanded. This has created growing opportunities for intermediaries or 'brokers' to organise and charge fees for placing individuals in organisations, either in their home country or abroad. Despite being voluntary, open market internships may be endorsed by universities motivated to confer on their students a labour market advantage. Despite being the subject of significant public concern, no published research has systematically addressed how internship intermediaries operate. This study examined the websites of 25 intermediaries to examine the functions of these businesses and the nature of the internships they offer. The findings show that the majority of firms offered placements in a variety of disciplines, partnered with prestigious universities and organisations, and promised a plethora of employability capacities as a result of participation. None directly promised participants success in acquiring a job post-internship but they did frequently suggest that internships had proven career benefits. The high program fees charged to participants may constitute a significant barrier to participation for those from less advantaged backgrounds. The results contribute to emerging scholarship addressing the patterns of participation in (open market) internships and other forms of work experience.
Descriptors: College Students, College Graduates, Internship Programs, Job Placement, Placement, Facilitators (Individuals), Employment Services, Partnerships in Education, School Business Relationship, Employment Potential, Fees
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A