The views of employers on internships as a means of learning from work experience in higher education

Abstract

This article examines internships as part of the apprenticeship model of learning adopted in higher education. We focus on employers’ views on internships, which have hitherto received only limited attention. Our study explores employers’ experiences in organizing internships, and their collaboration with one University of Applied Sciences, through data from social and health care employers (n=165), collected via a questionnaire. We conclude that if internships are to be improved as a means of learning from work experience, issues that employers want to raise within the collaborative framework require attention. These themes include relations with students, curriculum issues and the organization of the collaboration. A problem related to underestimating employer views on developing internships is that the resource-intensive nature of collaborative relations is silenced. As a result, targets for developing partnerships are left unrecognized, with adverse effects on the quality management and strategic planning of higher education institutions.

Keywords:

• internships
• higher education
• employer
• work experience
• quality management