How we make internships work for you.
An Introduction to Internships
An internship is a temporary work placement or on-the-job training program designed for students, recent graduates, or employees seeking to either gain practical work experience or develop additional skills in a particular field or industry. Internships typically last for a fixed period, ranging from a few weeks to several months, and involve working under the supervision of experienced professionals who provide guidance, mentorship, and feedback to help the intern develop their skills and knowledge.
Internships may be paid or unpaid and may be part-time or full-time depending on the employer’s requirements and the intern’s availability. The primary goal of an internship is to provide the intern with hands-on experience and exposure to the real-world work environment, allowing them to apply their academic learning to practical situations and build a foundation for their future careers.
The fields of work that an intern is allowed to participate in can depend on several factors, including the intern’s academic background, skills, interests, and the opportunities available at the company or organization offering the internship.
At Rise Training we have packaged internships to provide workplace experience to the intern, coupled with the gains that the corporate require.
B-BBEE Requirements
In South Africa the Codes of Good practice allow for 4 types of training interventions to gain skills development points for B-BBEE purposes:
- Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programs specified in the Learning Program Matrix on black people as a percentage of the leviable amount.
- Skills Development expenditure on bursaries for black students at Higher Education Institutions
- Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programs specified in the Learning Program Matrix on black employees with disabilities as a percentage of the leviable amount.
- Number of black people participating in Learnerships, Internships and Apprenticeships as a percentage of all employees
The number of people to be trained can either be through learnerships, internships or Apprenticeships.
The rand value spent on the training, as well as salaries incurred towards the interns, will increase the required spend under #1.
Overview of BEE Scorecard contributions
Internships can contribute to a company’s BEE scorecard in several ways. One way is by providing opportunities for black individuals to gain valuable work experience and skills development, which can count towards the skills development element of the scorecard. Companies can earn points by investing in the training and development of black employees and learners, including interns.
An internship in terms of the B-BBEE learning program matrix is defined as “Institutional-based theoretical instruction as well as some practical learning with an employer or in a simulated work environment – formally assessed through the institution.”
The mode of instruction should be “Mixed mode delivery with Institutional instructions as well as supervised learning in an appropriate workplace or simulated work environment.”
Institutions such as universities and colleges, schools, ABET providers and the workplace combine to make this work.
Learning Achievement
The learning achievement as required by the Codes of Good Practice is set out as “Theoretical knowledge and workplace experience with set requirements resulting in the achievement of a degree, diploma or certificate issued by the and accredited or registered formal institute of learning.”
The same definition of institution is utilised for learnerships in the codes, thus the requirement for accreditation is paramount.
The institution should issue a certificate to the intern. This would be done in two parts:
- Training certificate upon final assessment of the course submission by the intern – for theoretical knowledge
- Practical certificate for completion of the internship – theory passed, as well as practical experience gained. See section 2(d) below.