In many universities and colleges, graduate programs require students to complete a six-week internship for the field they are studying. This is usually during the last year of their college career in which the student takes a job, paid or unpaid, and trains with a company to get jopb experience. "For students an internship today, leads to a job tomorrow. For businesses, an intership allows companies to try out potential employees at a minimal cost. And for the state, it means keeping more young knowledge-workers with jobs here in Cincinnati," Channel 9 News anchor John Popovich explains.
Pitsco's new web-based CareerPorts take students on nine-week virtual internships in nationally recognized career cluster areas, helping them hone their real-world career experiences and independent learning skills. The program allows students to complete their virtual internships by finishing assignments and participating in hands-on activities that can be implemented from anywhere with Internet access.
Students participate in these courses while staying in touch with an advisor, who assist and monitor their progress and performance, and subject mentors, who are experts in the specific field of study. ”Now critical information to help UC students and businesses find each other is just a click away on many internship career websites, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
Many journalism students at UC believe that internships have changed from what they used to be and are now actually available to keep students open to real life tasks.
“An internship used to mean making copies and getting coffee. Those days are gone. Today the experience of an internship is considered practically a pre-requisite for a full-time job.," says Christina Green, a journalism student who currently interns at KISS 107.1 radio station. "Some companies say they will consider interns as early as high-school graduation so the sooner students get started with their internship, the better,” adds Green.