200 North West graduates to work abroad

We discuss the benefits of internships for students and organisations.

According to the Sowetan, around 200 unemployed North West graduates, who are interested in working in the hospitality and tourism industry, will be given an opportunity to work and gain valuable experience overseas. The job placement programme is a project by Motlalepule Rosho, MEC of tourism and economic development, and the Ubuntu Institute.

We chat to Sherwin Reddy, a senior talent acquisition executive at Talent Force regarding job placements.

How can graduates take part in internship programmes overseas?
From my professional experience, the prerequisite to be considered for an internship locally or abroad is to obtain above average results at tertiary level. There are very few instances where “pure talent” is recognised and it varies among prospective companies. The first port of call is to approach your career advisor / counsellor on campus as these people usually have a network of contacts abroad. Secondly, you could approach consultancies that specialise in internships abroad. They will be able to help you through the entire process, as there is a lot of admin to consider.

What are the benefits of internships for someone that is reluctant to be an intern?
The best way to look at it is that this will give you a clearer indication regarding the “right” career for you. Internships offer you tremendous support to the theory you’ve done at tertiary level. Students are exposed to real work situations, allowing them to have first-hand experience on how their studies are applied in the corporate world. Moreover, as a hands-on learner, you are given the opportunity to develop good work habits and understand corporate environments. Ultimately, it’s a great opportunity to build your personal professional network for the long term.

What are the benefits for organisations when it comes to having internship programmes?
1. It will give them an opportunity to increase productivity as students are hungry for experience.
2. You will be able to identify well-suited staff members, especially for small- and medium-sized entities, enabling you to “test drive” the talent.
3. As a small business, it’s an ideal way to give back to the community by affording local students an opportunity to kick-start their career and thus enhancing the local workforce as a whole.
4. Interns become invaluable recruiting tools. Upon returning to campus from an internship with a favourable impression, he/ she becomes an “on-campus advertisement”.
5. Interns bring with them the knowledge and skills learned through education. They have new ideas, insights and processes that will benefit the workforce and work environment of the company.