UW-Madison’s Matthew Hora was recently interviewed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) for a report headlined, “Filling the Void for Students with Academic Projects.”
Hora is the director of the Center for Research on College to Workforce Transitions (CCWT), which is housed within the School of Education’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
Hora explains how he is hearing about employers canceling their internship programs with increased frequency and is offering some guidance and suggestions for navigating in the current landscape.
“Many organizations are in entrenchment and layoff mode, and are not bringing in students for internships this year,” Hora tells NACE. “Cancellations are happening, but there is also a massive movement to online internships, so in those cases, it is less about cancellations and more about a migration to a different modality.”
What can be done to provide experiences for students for whom online internships aren’t available or viable?
Hora, who has written a guide to continuing internships during the pandemic, recommends that faculty and academic departments collaborate to create learning experiences that can replicate traditional internships. Such projects could include, Hora says, problem- or case-based learning, reflection papers, and preparation of career-related materials.
To learn much more, check out the full NACE article here.