July 29 is National Intern Day, created to recognize and celebrate interns.
We've rounded up resources and articles from SHRM Online and other sources to provide context.
Internships Represent Opportunity
Internship jobs site and platform WayUp launched the holiday in 2017 to help bring attention to the challenges entry-level candidates face in the workforce and how the internship experience could be improved, stressing the importance of paid internships and investing in interns from diverse backgrounds.
"Not only are internships back this summer, but companies have finally started to rethink their hiring processes to ensure they're more equitable and inclusive," said WayUp co-founder and CEO Liz Wessel.
"Internships have always been a huge source of new and innovative talent. But now, more companies than ever before are recognizing that their intern classes can be a source of diverse talent that their companies can then retain and grow over time into future leaders."
(WayUp)
Virtual Summer Internships 2.0
Most college students missed out on traditional internships in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many employers canceled their programs or quickly switched to a virtual format.
With the number of internships bouncing back this year, and most of them still virtual, how can employers improve on last year's experiment?
Highest-Paying Internships Are Mostly in Tech
Over half of the 25 companies paying their interns the most this year are in technology (16 companies), with six other companies in finance and two in the energy industry, according to recent data.
What Employers Need to Know About Unpaid Internships
Legal experts tend to advise employers to pay interns as the only sure way to avoid wage and hour litigation, but they acknowledge that the unique circumstances of the internship can lead to a different decision.
Employing Interns
This SHRM resource highlights the business case for offering internships, including the benefits for both the employer and the intern. It discusses HR's role in implementing and managing an internship program, as well as communication, technology and legal issues.
[Want to learn more about talent management? Join us at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2021, taking place Sept. 9-12 in Las Vegas and virtually.]
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