HR Nuggets

A lot have been said about hiring experienced staff to get the jobs done, but very little attention is paid to how to encourage fresh graduates in gaining the highly expected work experiences. Neither the society nor organizations seem to think of the importance and benefits of investing in internship programs to develop the desired skills and experiences.
Unfortunately, our educational systems seem to be more theoretical rather than a blend of theories and practical. The question that remains unanswered is “where are fresh graduates expected to acquire these experiences from?” Universities produce millions of graduates every year with little or no job opportunities out there, little do we know that the longer one stays out of school without a job or further self-development the more difficult it is for the fellow to get hired.
It is very discouraging to see thousands of graduates with good grades on the streets looking for employers to absorb them but all to no avail. If getting educated does not position one well for employment opportunities, it is then difficult to convince the younger generations on the importance of getting educated. This in no way justifies implies that all forms of education must lead to a white collar job, but how well does our educational system prepare one for the challenges ahead, through entrepreneurship teachings and programs.
In addressing the gap between graduates and the required number of years experiences, a few organizations have started investing into some form of internship programs, how well this is done or the intentions of establishing these programs is yet another research to be carried out.
Interns are hired and trained to perform the organizational duties that will launch them into higher roles and responsibilities in future either within the organization or outside the organization, and not “tea making” interns, in fact it is a training ground and organizations are not obligated to hire them if they do not seem fit after the training.
It is worthy to note however, that this program is very beneficial to the interns. While there are a lot of arguments on its benefits to the organization as regards the worth of the investment, whichever way the dice rolls, either in favour or against the program, the establishing organizations have a lot to consider prior to taking a final decision.

Advantages of Internship Program to an organization

Having established that it is a “win” situation for the interns, the following are a few of its glaring advantages to the internship providers:

• Recruitment and maintenance of interns are far cheap: So many interns are eager and willing to offer their services at little or no cost to the organization, especially when it is an avenue for them to receive organizational standard training rather than roaming the streets. Even when organizations pay, their overhead cost is usually very low compared to the cost of recruiting and keeping full time staff. 
• Introduce Fresh ideas and energy to the system: No matter how fresh and naïve the interns appear, there seem to be an aura of fresh energy, zeal and idea to contribute to the organization. Especially if there are some form of evaluation that may lead to retention or dismissal after the program.
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Internship program are mostly viewed by the community, universities and society at large as a way of giving back to the community, it greatly strengthens the bonds that exist between the organization and its environs. 
• Conversion to full time employment: The period of training usually serve as observational period, and upon completion, the process of conversion to full employment is most likely hitch free as the organizations wouldn’t go into long and expensive recruitment process. 

Disadvantages of Internship Program to an organization

•  Obligated to hire: Organizations sometimes are torn between keeping and letting an intern go. It has been clearly stated that organizations are not mandated to retain their interns and if this must happen, the intern must have demonstrated the capacity and required skills that warrants retention. 
• Associated Cost of training interns: Despite the fact that the cost of recruiting interns are relatively cheap compared to hiring full time staff, the productivity of the interns being trained should be justifiable to the cost associated with their training. This is however difficult to determine prior to investing in them. 
• Vague or no Guarantee of acceptance: There is no guarantee that the expected outcome of the training will be suitable for the experience an employer requires. Neither is there a guarantee that the intern will accept an offer of employment even if extended.