As the job market continues to evolve, so do the types of skills that students will need to have when they enter the workforce. While the class curriculum has also been advancing to support these in-demand skills, the earlier that students can dip their feet into real-world scenarios, the better. High school internships are a great way to provide that opportunity to students; however, they are unfortunately not accessible to every student.
Research from American Student Assistance found that in 2018, “only 2% of high school students had actually completed a high school internship.” While this number may have increased in the last five years, the potential for growth is slim as the number of available opportunities for high school students only grew by 8% during that time.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of internships for career readiness are undeniable. Let’s explore how these opportunities shape career readiness and how principals can address the obstacles that limit student participation.
The Benefits
Internships are a great way to support career readiness as they provide a space for students to apply the skills that they have been learning in the classroom to real-world scenarios. This is especially helpful for students who are seeking a specific path, as they can use the internship as a preview into their target industry.
The ability to collaborate with different people is essential in the workplace, and a high school internship offers students a chance to build up their teamwork skills, alongside enhancing communication and learning about workplace etiquette. The earlier that students gain this type of experience, the more prepared they will be when applying for jobs in the future as this will help them to stand out.
Allowing students to try internships also puts the power of career decision-making in their hands. With early experiences to pull from, students can then make informed decisions about their future careers before committing to college or trade school.
By providing opportunities for high school internships, school principals can empower students to take charge of their futures.
Can We Make Internships Accessible?
While there are plenty of benefits students can gain from high school internships, many students still face challenges accessing those opportunities.
Transportation
One such challenge comes from the lack of reliable transportation, which is likely to be more prevalent in rural or underserved areas. Schools can work to accommodate students facing this obstacle by building partnerships with local transit organizations to provide transportation discounts or vouchers for students. Another option is to partner with businesses that can consider internships that are based on campus to help reduce travel burdens. Virtual or remote internships are also helpful ways to reduce the need for transportation.
Unpaid?
Many internships are unpaid, which isn’t sustainable for many students who are in a situation where they need to work paid jobs. To help give these students access, schools and employers can try prioritizing paid internships or offer stipends to ensure students can afford to participate. Principals can also look into work-based learning programs that integrate internships into the school day for academic credit. This way, students can maintain availability for paid jobs outside of the school day.
For an example of work-based learning, educators can look to the Tennessee Department of Education as it has developed a program meant to connect high school students with in-demand careers while obtaining academic credit.
Lack of Availability
As mentioned in the research from American Student Assistance, there is low availability for high school internships. One reason for this could be due to employers being hesitant to hire high school students due to their lack of experience. Schools can try mitigating this concern by collaborating with employers on structured internship programs with metrics of success for the students.
By acknowledging obstacles and implementing strategic solutions, principals can play a pivotal role in expanding access to high school internships.
