ACADEMICS > INTERNSHIPS IN THE CURRICULUM
Undertaking an internship is an excellent vehicle for putting an academic subject into practice. This can enhance students' engagement with their academic studies, develop their employability and educate them about the work environment and culture.
From an employment perspective, it is increasingly the case that employers recruit most of their full-time graduate positions out of their own intern population. In some cases this can be as high as 70-80% of vacancies and this is likely to grow. This practice has implications for students who do not undertake internships and the UCD Career Development Centre works with students to help enhance their employability and work experience in whatever way possible.
Embedding an internship into an academic programme is arguably the most effective method. Within this model, the internship becomes an integral part of the students' learning experience with set learning outcomes and mechanisms to promote student learning and the development of core employability skills. This model also allows for a formalised relationship with stated and managed expectations between academic staff, students and employers. Schools with embedded internship programmes and those seeking to develop embedded internships should make use of the UCD Policy on Work Placement when developing such provision.
The development of a formal agreement between UCD and host employers is important as it establishes defined responsibilities and is an effective mechanism for ensuring the student receives the best experience possible while also managing School and Institutional exposure to risk. Click here for sample agreements you may wish to use for your own School (Located under 'W' on UCD Registry downloads page.)
A recent project into Internships and Placement Learning in Ireland led to the development of a website housing a range of reports and clear guidelines for developing internships and work related learning. Go to www.reap.ie to see the range of resources on offer.
The Career Development Centre can offer advice and support if you are thinking about introducing internships to your School. We have expertise in work-related learning and in developing programmes of career development learning, personal and professional development. We may also be able to offer practical assistance on which employers are likely to engage in accepting UCD students onto an internship. Please contact Dr. David Foster (david.foster@ucd.ie) in the first instance.