Cultivating Engineering Professional Competence and Employabilities Through Internships Program

Cultivating Engineering Professional Competence and Employabilities Through Internships Program

Internships are a common approach for cultivating higher education talent in industry-academic partnerships. The work context of an internship influences an intern's professional competence. Therefore, this study deconstructed the learning context in which interns develop professional competence through the application of the internship human resource development model. A total of 59 students from eight universities in Taiwan and two universities in China participated in an internship program from July to August 2019. Notes on 48 internship presentations given at the end of the internship, the presentation slideshows, and individual interviews and a focus group with 14 and 11 of the interns were analysed. I determined that students not only gain professional knowledge and skills but also learn that communication skills are essential for working with others. This is consistent with the content that internship programs aim to deliver to students. Moreover, awareness of practical experiences during an internship was found to have considerable educational significance; it enables interns to acquire the professional competence required for completing tasks, achieving work goals, and improving work quality. The findings serve as a reference for universities and businesses.