The conference “Quality Internships: A first step towards a proper employment?” will take place on the 9th of November 2018 at the Office of the Spanish National Research Council in Brussels, Belgium.
Internships can play a key role in the path to the labour market by providing an opportunity for students to bridge the skills gap between academic education and working life*. In the past years, the EHEA has contributed to the ample growth of the internship market. More and more HEIs are designing their curricula including mobility windows and/or are encouraging undergraduates to conduct an internship. Additionally, the European Union has encouraged students to embark on a work-based learning experience abroad through one of its most well-known mobility programmes, Erasmus+**. Despite the increase in opportunities and awareness about the importance of internships during academic studies, the quality aspect has been largely ignored in the policy discussions at a European level.
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to share experience and discuss the relevance of quality internships with various stakeholders: policy makers, universities, students and the private sector.
Taking place under the aegis of the CAPQI project, the conference will address the challenges of quality internships for all stakeholders in various ways and the need to create a transparent job market that ensures equal opportunities for young people and a better transition from education to work.