{
  "id": 7553077,
  "title": "To crack the job market, internships can be just as key for young people as the degree",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/to-crack-the-job-market-internships-can-be-just-as-key-for-young",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-15T12:36:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/to-crack-the-job-market-internships-can-be-just-as-key-for-young-people-as-the-degree-288647"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the current job market, college students are facing significant challenges, with a growing number of post-college individuals being unemployed. One solution that has gained traction is the emphasis on internships as a means for young people to secure careers. However, not all internships are created equal, and their effectiveness hinges on quality rather than quantity.\n\nResearchers from The Ohio State University have identified four key lessons that colleges and employers can apply to transform internships into genuine career pathways. These programs have primarily benefited students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, many of whom are first-generation college attendees. Such initiatives can serve as powerful equalizers, providing opportunities for individuals who might otherwise be marginalized in the job market.\n\nThe quality of internships is crucial for student success. While the number of internship opportunities is dwindling, the skills acquired during high-quality internships are increasingly valuable in the current job market. This is particularly true in the age of artificial intelligence, where human skills such as judgment, adaptability, collaboration, and problem-solving are becoming more important.\n\nTo ensure internship success, four principles have emerged from research. Firstly, interns should engage in meaningful work that provides real organizational challenges and deliverables beyond the classroom. For instance, interns at Honda worked on addressing safety challenges, developing solutions that were presented to industry representatives, leading to potential post-internship job opportunities.\n\nSecondly, internships should combine substantive work with mentoring and professional development. This approach goes beyond simply placing students in workplaces, as it helps structure and improve the internship experience. Thirdly, students benefit from earning while learning, which increases their engagement and motivation. The Earn-as-you-learn program at community colleges, for example, involved students alternating between classroom instruction and paid workplace experience, working alongside experienced technicians and receiving regular coaching.\n\nLastly, colleges should build broader support networks around internships, recognizing that a single supervisor cannot shoulder the responsibility for a student's professional development. By fostering a network of mentors, technical experts, employers, and classmates, students can develop relationships that strengthen their confidence, professional identity, and sense of belonging, all of which contribute to their long-term career success.",
  "summary": "Job preparation through internships matters more than ever for young people amid a precarious and fast-changing job market.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "To crack the job market, internships can be just as key for young people as the degree",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/to-crack-the-job-market-internships-can-be-just-as-key-for-young-7571984",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:40:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}