Work

Learning to labour: an evaluation of internships and employability in the ICT sector

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: The employability of graduates is often reduced to lists of de‐contextualised skills that graduates may or may not have and which may or may not translate to prized graduate positions. Recently, internships have become the way in which graduates acquire and demonstrate work‐readiness to potential employers. This article examines a particular type of internship in theICTsector, namely placements incorporated in degree education. The findings suggest that while internships can enhance employability and indeed be a mechanism for accessing permanent jobs, more often, instead of ‘learning to labour’, interns are expected to be productive workers. A mini labour market operates at the undergraduate level that advantages those already possessed of the required soft skills. The emphasis on soft skills signals a shift in the nature ofICTwork with attendant implications for education of workers in this sector, revealed by anchoring employability to particular labour process(es).

Source: New Technology Work and Employment

DOI: 10.1111/ntwe.12041

Authors: Shiona Chillas, Abigail Marks, Laura Galloway

Institution: University of St Andrews

Language: English

Topic: Higher Education and Employability

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,980