Photo Courtesy: <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/coffee’>Coffee vector created by macrovector – www.freepik.com</a>
How WeSchool offered internships in lockdown?
The lock-down disrupted the conventional, face to face, physical class room -centred pedagogy of teaching and learning. However, WeSchool identified an opportunity in this crisis, by identifying organisations (in India & overseas), for our full-time PGDM students to work on challenging projects, in a virtual mode. The projects were designed to provide the interning student a chance to consult on real-world projects and pitch relevant ideas and solutions. Learning also multiplies due to peer-to-peer feedback. During the six week virtual summer internship, each student was being supported and mentored by a WeSchool faculty( in addition to the Guide from the organisation).
Our students interned with organisations in India and overseas, ie: Singapore, South Africa, Netherlands, Germany & Spain.
We are aware that the lockdown has limited our outreach to place students in face to face internships. In such learning context, the intern is able to engage with his/her mentor at the organisation, and other connected team members virtually. Hence, it may not be sound to compare the experiential learning from a conventional internship with a virtual one, as both platforms have unique benefits.
What was the process for students to be hired for virtual internships?
Interested students were offered to choose his/her area of interest. After virtual based selection processes by the organisation, the selected student was assigned a problem statement , aligning with his/her’s professional background and experience.
What are the benefits and challenges in the virtual internships?
We are aware that the lockdown has limited our outreach to place students in face to face internships. In such learning context, the intern is able to engage with his/her mentor at the organisation, and other connected team members virtually. Hence, it may not be sound to compare the experiential learning from a conventional internship with a virtual one, as both platforms have unique benefits.
Virtual internship became the need of the hour, as the lockdown was sudden and enveloped 190 plus countries, including India. Organisations, through the virtual internship, in a way will get more comfortable at integrating more processes (across job roles/levels )and departments, to ‘go digital earlier.’ The lockdown in this way, is a ‘ blessing in disguise’ for organisations! Our Faculty mentors are enabling our students’ to benefit, through teaching/coaching/advising, to learn digital business communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and being innovative.
We foresee that the post COVID-19 job market will require management professionals, who have imbibed the experience of facing the pandemic disaster with resilience and be productive, by working in a remote environment, while physically located at home. The virtual medium is surely bringing global internship opportunities which are not limited by geography. While also being mentored, by WeSchool faculty, the intern is able to seamlessly experience an AAA learning experience, that addresses the acquisition, application, and assimilation of knowledge.
