Strategies to Increase Equity of Access to Engineering Internships
- Publisher:
- AAEE
- Publication Type:
- Conference Proceeding
- Citation:
- Proceedings AAEE2018, 2018, pp. ? - ? (6)
- Issue Date:
- 2018-12-09
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CONTEXT Internships, one type of Work Integrated Learning (WIL), are an important part of the development of employability competencies. Research across professions other than engineering has indicated that unpaid internships may be subject to class based privilege and induce financial stress. Educational practices in engineering enabling unpaid internships may further disadvantage students from equity groups: low socio economic status, disability, culturally or linguistically diverse, rural or remote students, and women in non-traditional areas. PURPOSE Funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, the extent of unpaid work placements, the role of positive social capital, accessibility and barriers to successful WIL for equity group students are being examined. We ask how the practices of the engineering industry and higher education community may embrace diversity by facilitating access to successful WIL opportunities. Successful WIL is identified by enhanced career, education or employability prospects, and positive student wellbeing. APPROACH The mixed-methods study includes: interviews; a survey including free-response questions and a resilience instrument; and analysis of students’ reflective reports. Seven participants interviewed to date have related their experiences of engineering-related internships; how they secured positons, the quality of their experiences, whether they were paid, and the impact of these experiences on their approach to their engineering education, career progression and well-being. These seven participants shared perceptions of over 17 internships of which six were unpaid. Preliminary insights from these initial interviews and free-responses from the first round of surveys only are reported in this paper. The outcomes from an integrated data analysis process incorporating: further interviews; survey data including the resilience instrument data; and reflective reports, will be published by the funding body at the conclusion of the study. RESULTS Interviewees to date have largely capitalized on their family’s or friends’ engineering industry network (evidence of high social capital) to secure their first Internship. Survey respondents and interviewees described internship application processes as time consuming and stressful when combined with study commitments. Most accessed familial financial and social support to take up internships. All perceived their earliest internship(s) helped expand their industry network, enhanced their employability through immersion in the engineering workplace(s), and afforded them experiences they drew on in subsequent situational-analysis interviews. The benefits of exposure to professional practice included: opportunity to extend university-gained theoretical knowledge; appreciation of industry and sector drivers; identification of knowledge gaps; and enhanced professional skills. CONCLUSIONS Early findings suggest support for prior research indicating that internships have potential to be transformational experiences when those experiences are positive. An initial internship may not be easily accessible for students without high social capital. An unpaid internship may not be an option for students without financial support mechanisms including accrued savings, or familial, government or scholarship assistance. Recommendations for stakeholders are currently being developed.
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