Book chapter 2024

Enhancing Real-World Skills Through Internships: A Qualitative Exploration

Innovative Educational Frameworks for Future Skills and Competencies
Journal · pp. 211-236
Abstract

Higher education aims to prepare individuals for real- world challenges by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for employment. However, higher education institutions face significant challenges in aligning with global standards while addressing local needs and socio- economic crises. A holistic learning experience, characterised by experiential learning opportunities such as internships, is crucial for this preparation. This chapter explores the experiences of students, employers, and teachers with internships as a means of developing real- world skills. Using a qualitative approach, the study sampled 10 students, five teachers, and employers from five departments (education, business, computer science, engineering, and medicine). The findings highlight the role of internships in fostering professional success. Internships enhance skill proficiency, assist students in making informed career decisions, and provide practical learning experiences that are often unavailable in traditional classroom settings. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Not provided

Index Keywords

Teaching Teachers' Professional aspects Engineering education High educations Apprentices Students experiential learning Real-world Learning experiences Higher education institutions Socio-economics Global standards Economic crisis Qualitative exploration
Author Affiliations
The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Psu Research Review, (2023)
2 Bangari, Monika, convergence of motives for higher education: a study on the aspiring students in india, Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 21, 1, (2018)
3 Future of Internships and Workplace Based Learning, (2023)
4 Qualitative Research for Education an Introduction to Theory and Methods, (1982)
5 Campbell, Steven J., Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples, Journal of Research in Nursing, 25, 8, pp. 652-661, (2020)
6 Chadwick, Ingrid C., Improving School-to-Work Transitions: Antecedents of High-Quality Intern-Supervisor Exchanges, Journal of Career Assessment, 33, 2, pp. 264-283, (2025)
7 Chan, Cecilia Ka Yuk, A review of literature on challenges in the development and implementation of generic competencies in higher education curriculum, International Journal of Educational Development, 57, pp. 1-10, (2017)
8 Chen, Yujuan, Sustainable development of employability of university students based on participation in the internship promotion programme of Zhejiang Province, Sustainability (Switzerland), 13, 23, (2021)
9 Choudhari, Bharati P., Enhancing Undergraduate Education through Semester-Long Internship Program, 2023 6th IEEE International Conference on Advances in Science and Technology, ICAST 2023, pp. 612-616, (2023)
10 Chue, Shien, Opportunities in a Crisis: Boundary Objects for Undergraduate Internship Learning, Graduate Employability and Workplace-Based Learning Development: Insights from Sociocultural Perspectives, pp. 173-190, (2022)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
4
Times Cited (Scopus)

References 10
Document Identifiers