Students beg for internships

Students beg for internships

 

In the dark days before Christmas, trade union CNV and the Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg make an appeal to employers: don’t leave students out in the cold and offer internships. 

 

These are exceptional times. In the lockdown many companies are struggling and therefore there are fewer internships. “Suzanne Witteveen of CNV says, “It’s really discouraging for students.

 

The figures from the Central Bureau for Statistics show that there are indeed fewer students on internships. From March, when the first lockdown starts, the number of internships drops abruptly. In May 2019 there were 104 thousand students on internships; in May 2020 there were only 85.6 thousand.

© HOP. Source: CBS. Internships at level: higher education.

 

According to the ISO, fewer and fewer internships are available. “It causes a lot of stress among students, because they all fish in a pond that is far too small,” says chairman Dahran Çoban. “Many students have to make concessions in their choice of internships, lack relevant work experience and in many cases are delayed in their studies”. For the business community itself, it’s not good in the long run if students don’t complete an internship, say CNV and ISO. (HOP, Bas Belleman)