In the past, interns were usually given menial tasks that were of limited value; however times have changed and more and more, students are now given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an industry of interest to them.

Internship job responsibilities differ from organisation to organisation, depending on the nature of the internship. Some organisations provide interns with the opportunity to really be a part of the team and perform tasks that a qualified employee would normally do. Others also provide them with the opportunity to attend industry-relevant conferences or lectures, which is beneficial to the development of interns in their respective career paths.

Workshops are engaging sites where interns obtain access to vital global insights, and often get an opportunity to contribute themselves.

They also provide interns with the opportunity to share ideas with other attendees and network with them. By way of example, after attending a workshop Thantaswa Matshobongwana, a Business Intern at enterprise development agency Fetola stated that the workshop provided a great platform to meet people with the same interests, and gave her the opportunity to meet several experts in her field in a short amount of time.

“I got an opportunity to network with experts and also got a chance to learn more about facts and statistics that will help me better understand my market and industry,” explained Matshobongwana.

Workshops help interns to gain new knowledge, create ideas, establish networking, and identify problems and solutions. For that reason, if interns are given the opportunities, they should actively seek to participate in workshops to broaden their horizons and careers.

By Kalene Naidoo and Abram Molelemane.