How do micro-internships support university education?

With more expectation than ever on students to be job-ready upon graduating, the need for greater real-world experience at university is rising. One innovative way universities are doing this is via micro-internships.?

But what do they offer students? And are they enough????

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The value in bite-sized learning??

By definition, micro-internships are a short-term, paid, professional assignment. They typically range from five hours to a few weeks, and act as an introduction to the working world.??

And while they cannot offer the same level of experience and training as traditional internships, micro-internships are fast becoming an easily accessible way for university students – at all year levels – to further their skillset and add to their resume.?

RMIT’s Industry Experience Program, which began at the start of the year, is helping international students do just that by pairing them with industry partners and businesses across the tech, engineering, business and marketing sectors.?

According to RMIT data, 78% of the program’s students said they hadn’t undertaken any sort of work experience before taking part in the project.?

Program manager Nigel Atkinson said micro-internships helped to “create that real life experience and connection with an organisation”.?

“A lot of international students come in without any work experience… and understanding the Australian business environment is very, very different,” Mr Atkinson said.?

“(This is) a real project… and we do get a lot of reports that organisations do take on the outcomes.?

“Sometimes it might be amazing, sometimes it might not hit the spot, but students still get the experience of interacting with an organisation… rather than just a general assignment.”??

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Building better people, not just workers?

And it’s not just the work-related skills micro-internships can teach. Soft skills and the ability to operate within a business are also fostered.?

“There’s a whole range of other type skills students can focus on or learn,” Mr Atkinson said.??

“Communicating with each other and industry people and professionals, understanding and articulating, those general professional skills.”?

Mr Atkinson said some micro-internships were run virtually, while others were conducted on site.?

“Everything is online now and that also exposes a great skill, how to connect and work that way,” he added.?

RMIT student Hewa, who is completing a Masters of Occupational Health and Safety, took part in the program and said it had “helped develop my communication skills and improve my understanding of what Australia’s clients look for”.?

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Additional opportunities??

Mr Atkinson while micro-internships are “certainly not there to replace internships,” they posed huge benefits for students, universities and employers.??

“They’re certainly not a full internship where a student might do 120 hours… but where we feel they have their place is that it gives students a taste of what the expectations are,” he said.?

“We also look at running other projects afterwards like skill building workshops or connecting them with other organisations that just adds to their resume. Students have also got to understand that any time they can experience the real world, the professional world, is good experience - even if it doesn’t directly relate (to their course).”??

How do micro-internships benefit students, universities and industry employers? Do they offer enough experience??