Impact of Internship Programme in Engineering Education

Year 2018, Volume: 9 , 276 - 283, 18.08.2018

H. Ziya Ozek

Abstract

A common 
opinion suggests that  a distinction
is somehow  developed  between the competence of engineering  graduates 
and  elemental requirements of the
industry.   Consequently,  many universities in various countries  have adapted internship programmes or  industrial placement for some of their degree
programs. This approach is also accepted and supported by many potential
employers in different fields.  Internships
and placements are a kind of work experience obtained during the undergraduate
years. Thanks to internship,  the
practical knowledge and understanding of students are greatly improved, especially
in engineering education. It provides students with an opportunity to gain valuable
working experience in their specific  field and to enhance their prospects for
future employment and engineering career before their graduation. This study is
an attempt to evaluate  the impact of
such programmes  on the basis  of benefits and  challenges. 
The  evolution of  internship programmes, alternative methods
and basic principles are discussed.  On
the basis of the experience of Namik Kemal University,  it is clear that this programme provides
certain advantages for all sides but also many challenges. The students are
introduced with the work life before graduation and  has the chances of  better preparation for the professional life.
From the company point of view, they can make a very realistic assessment prior
to the employment.  The success of the
programme depends on the level of co-operation and  commitment
displayed by internship students, partner companies and university
academic staff.  The involvement and commitment
of students, support and  capabilities of
the  factories outstands as important
success criteria. 

Keywords

Internship programme, Engineering, Engineering education, Training

References

• Baytiyeh, H & Naja, M ; (2012), ‘’Identifying the challenging factors in the transition from colleges of engineering to employment, European Journal of Engineering Education, 37:1, pp.3-14. Bukaliya, R, ‘’The Potential Benefits And Challenges Of Internship Programmes In An ODL Institution: A Case For The Zimbabwe Open University, International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, January, February, March 2012 Vol: 3 Issue: 1. Cooperative Education & Internship Association, Inc. History of Cooperative Education and Internships Available from: http://www.ceiainc.org/about/history/ Doğdu, E (2010), Ortak Eğitim TOBB Ekonomi ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Eğitim Modeli Sunumu, Available from: www.ua.gov.tr/docs/erasmus-/13-calistay-staj-egitimi_tobb_etu.pdf?sfvrsn=0 Furco, A, Service Learning and School-to-Work; Journal of Cooperative Education, Vol:1, 1996, pp. 7-14. Galvan J, Fisher E, Casman E and Small M (2013), Assessing the impact of mandatory internships on employability of recent college graduates in Mexico, Proceedings of the 2013 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration, Session ETD 435, American Society for Engineering Education Gower, R K, Mulvaney, M A, (2012), Making The Most Of Your Internship, A Strategic Approach, Sagamore Publishing LLC, Urbana, USA. Groenewald, T (2004). Towards a definition for cooperative education. In R.K. Coll &. Eames (Eds.), International handbook for cooperative education: An international perspective of the theory, research and practice of work‐integrated learning (pp. 17‐25). Boston: World Association for Cooperative Education. Haddara, M, Skanes, H; “A reflection on cooperative education: from experience to experiential learning”, AsiaPacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2007, 8(1), pp.67-76. Hora, M T, Wolfgram M and Thompson, S, (2017) What do we know about the impact of internships on student outcomes? RESEARCH BRIEF #2 Centre for Research on College to Workforce Transitions (CCWT) and University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
• Mazumder, Q. H. (2013), Student Satisfaction in Private and Public Universities in Bangladesh, International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), Vol.2, No.2, June 2013, pp. 78~84. McMahon, U, & Quinn, U; (1995) Maximizing the hospitality management student work placement experience: A case study. Education and Training, Vol:37, p.13-17. Mengoni, L & Sami, MG; (1998) Cooperation Between University and Industries in Organizing a ‘Diploma Universitario’ Curriculum: The Politecnico di Milano-Assolombarda Experience, European Journal of Engineering Education, 23:4, pp. 423-429. Nasr, K.J., Pennington, J., & Andres, C. (2004). A study of students’ assessment of cooperative education outcomes. Journal of Cooperative Education, 38(1), 13‐21. O'Neill, N, (2010) “Internships as a High-Impact Practice: Some Reflections on Quality”, Peer Review, Association of American Colleges & Universities, Fall 2010, Vol. 12, No. 4.https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/internships-high-impact-practice-some-reflections-quality Ozek, H Z (2010), Çerkezköy’de Üniversite, Kent Ve Sanayi Etkileşimi, Çerkezköy Değerleri Sempozyumu Kitapçığı, 20 Ekim 2010, pp.100-116. Ozek, H Z (2016), Benefits And Challenges Of Internship Programme In Textile Engineering : A Case For NKU, 16th AUTEX World Textile Conference, June 8–10, 2016, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA. Richardson, J. T. E. (2005), Instruments for Obtaining Student Feedback: a Review of the Literature, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 30, 2005, pp. 387-415. Rompelman, O & De Vries, J; (2002) Practical training and internships in engineering education: Educational goals and assessment, European Journal of Engineering Education, 27:2, pp.173-180. Ruffalo Noel Levitz (2017), 2017 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Retrieve from RuffaloNL.com/Benchmark. Smith, N & Monk, M; (2005), ‘’An evaluation of the impact of a Year in industry scheme’, European Journal of Engineering Education, 30:2, 2005, pp. 181-190. Sovilla, E S, & Varty, JW ; (2004) ‘’Cooperative education in the USA, past and present: Some lessons learne’’, International handbook for cooperative education: An international perspective of the theory, research and practice of workintegrated learning R.K. Coll &. Eames (Eds.), Boston: World Association for Cooperative Education pp. 316. Tackett, J, Wolf, F, Law, D ; (2001) Accounting interns and their employers: Conflicting perceptions. Ohio CPA Journal, 60, pp.54-56. UAK (Üniversiteler Arası Kurul) (2016) Türkiye’de Mühendislik Eğitim-Öğretiminin Niteliğinin Geliştirilmesine Yönelik Öneriler, Analiz, Şubat 2016 Sayı:1. University of Cincinnati (2017), Un. Of Cincinnati Clermont College - SSI - 05/2017 Ruffolo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory. Available from: http://www.ucclermont.edu/content/dam/clermont/Institutional%20Research/University%20of%20Cincinnati-Clermont%20College%20-%20SSI%20-%2005-2017.html