Internship programs help students understand the industry and hone the relevant skills, making them market-ready and more employable
Since the global recession of 2009, the economy of the European Union has not recovered fully. The unemployment rates have generally stayed high. According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in the Euro Area for October 2017 stood at 18.6%. Countries like Italy, Spain and Greece registered unemployment rates as high as 34.7%, 38.2% and 40.2% respectively. So, it is not hard to comprehend that the working opportunities for fresh graduates are not in abundance. Internships can help the students acquire a competitive advantage over their peers and land a job of their aspirations.
Internships offer numerous benefits. Students get hands-on experience and an understanding of the life in that industry. There are other benefits that are not apparent from the beginning. These include ample opportunities to create a professional network, build your confidence in a professional environment, learn workplace etiquette, and hone your skills in a specialized field.
The European School of Economics (ESE) embraces the concept of internships. ESE understands that classroom study is not enough to prepare the students for the corporate world. Therefore, they have established a comprehensive placement program in place. This program has been developed in collaboration with 1500+ international companies from a wide range of industries like Banking & Finance, Fashion & Luxury, Consulting, Media & Communication, Tourism & Hospitality, Sports, Music, Information Technology & more. This list also includes many companies that have been selected by Fortune in their list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Students enrolled in different courses across all campuses of ESE receive support from the specialized Internship Department. The Department provides them assistance to recognize their career objectives and choose internship programs that help them not only realize their full potential, but also further their professional aspirations.
Students are realizing the benefits of the dedicated internship program. A student enrolled in the management course at ESE, Milan, captures it perfectly – “My internship turned out to be a huge part of my decision-making process in choosing a career. The Internship Department assisted me in choosing the right direction. They helped me choose a vertical and a company to work at. Working in the real world gives you a lot of perspective. You are able to apply what you are being taught to solve real-world problems. An internship should be a mandatory part of every curriculum. If you are not interning with a company before you complete your education, then you are missing out big time.”
Such rich internship experiences are the reason that almost all the ESE graduates have more than one job offer before leaving the campus. While other university students stress out for months after graduation to land a job, the internship program helps ESE students make inroads into the corporate world even before their graduation.
Internships are a window into the future. Universities have an obligation to provide their students with that window so that they can make better decisions. This will ensure that like ESE students, they experience a well-rounded professional education that is not just theoretical, but also practical and useful. An internship program similar to ESE produces more satisfied professionals, who positively contribute to their industry and society, and provide the necessary thrust for the economy to grow.
