With all the dramatic changes that have taken place in the world over the last year, the move into unprecedented levels of virtual space and communication has perhaps been the most startling. Existing workers in myriad industries have been finding ways of moving their endeavours online. But how does it work for those seeking work experience and internships? How can they penetrate this new virtual workspace?
Work experience is an integral part of a student’s university experience. In certain university courses and programmes, such as Medicine and Nursing, work experience is an essential entry requirement where students need to showcase their skills or understanding of the health or social care industry through work experience or voluntary work. But increasingly across all sectors, good quality work experience is becoming essential for people's employability.
Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic would appear to make getting work experience much harder, it has also opened up the opportunities for students to explore virtual work experiences, which can not only allow them to gain an understanding and develop their skills in a particular industry, but also develop the necessary digital skills required to thrive in a digital future.
For this reason, we have recently partnered with InvestIn - a London-based organisation that delivers immersive career experiences to students worldwide. They have various programmes, both in-person and virtual, for students aged 15-18 in various industries and careers, such as:
- Computer Science
- Dentistry
- Engineering
- Fashion
- Journalism
- Law
- Medicine
- Politics
- Psychology
We have already had some fantastic feedback from some of our students. Sonia, who undertook the Young Lawyer Summer Online Internship program, said that; “...learning more about the Law and being able to use what we have learnt in different demanding scenarios whilst also getting to know other students and listening and responding to points in our groups has inevitably helped me build more confidence in creating speeches and public speaking. It was overall an incredible experience and always kept me on edge constantly.”
Click on the video below to find out what Aamir and Erin had to say about their experiences in Engineering and Investment Banking.
Alice Smith School students interested to purchase a work experience package from InvestIn are eligible to receive a 10% discount on any of their programmes. Please send an email to hodhighereducation.ep@alice-smith.edu.my with your name and the programme(s) that you are interested to purchase to receive the discount code.
