Promoting student readiness for work-life through internships - Challenges and support

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Tertiary education increasingly relies on workplace experiences such as practicums, internships, and work placements to prepare graduates for working life, yet graduates often struggle to meet expectations. This paper investigates how internships generate value in Singapore post-secondary diploma courses by analyzing interview data quantitatively. Findings show internships contribute to students’ intentional engagement and work readiness, fostering adaptability for effective participation. Challenges include adapting to new work environments and developing occupational capacities, with supervisor and institutional support strengthening engagement with internship difficulties.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Student readiness for work-life and tertiary education

Dual role of tertiary education and global imperatives

Capacities for effective working life

Shift toward workplace experiences and internships

Promoting student readiness through internships

Educational potential of internships in Singapore polytechnics

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 63, Number 3, November 2023 Promoting student readiness for work-life through internships: Challenges and support Natasha Tan Chue Shien Cheryl Ong Nanyan Technological University, Singapore Stephen Billett Griffith University There are growing expectations that tertiary education graduates will be ready for working life, that is, possessing the capacities to participate effectively in an occupational practice in a specific work situation. Yet, graduates are often unprepared to fulfil this expectation. In response, tertiary education increasingly includes workplace experiences (i.e., practicums, internships, & work placements). It is necessary to understand these experiences’ efficacy and their optimisation to promote work-life readiness. Drawing on students’experiences of internships, this paper discusses what constitutes the value of internships in post-secondary diploma courses in Singapore. A quantitative analysis of interview data identified the contributions afforded through these experiences in workplaces – students’intentional engagement, and their readiness for working life. Central here is how these contributions promote the development of the 344 Natasha Tan, Chue Shien, Cheryl Ong and Stephen Billett adaptability required for effective participation in contemporary working life. The analysis identifies challenges including students’adapting to new work environments, navigating workplace practices, and developing occupational capacities. Workplace supervisors’and host educational institutions’support suggests interns’ adaptability can be enhanced by promoting the relations between the support they received, on the one hand, and their engagement with challenges during internships, on the other. These findings offer an understanding about the experiences and outcomes of interns’ learning through workplaces and offer implications for supporting and augmenting transitions into working life. Keywords: internship, capacities, work readiness, adaptability, support, engagementy Student readiness for work-life and tertiary education Tertiary education has a dual role to play in the development of its graduates.Beyond offering educational experiences, tertiary education provisions are also tasked with preparing individuals who are not only academically proficient but also equipped with the essential skills to work effectively in the dynamic contemporary job market and global economy (Tymon, 2013).There is a growing global imperative for tertiary education (i.e., vocational, and higher education) students to be ready for working life upon graduation, and, in some instances, be job ready (OECD, 2010).This readiness often comprises students having the capacity to participate effectively in working life, in a specific occupational practice and work setting (UA, 2008).This paradigm shift in the tertiary educational landscape is reflective of the broader goals set forth by influential organisations and policymakers. For example, the OECD has emphasised the significance of job readiness as a key requirement of contemporary graduates (OECD, 2010).It is increasingly being expected for the outcomes of tertiary education to go beyond initial occupational competence to include being able to adapt to the requirements of workplaces where they are employed (OECD, 2019) and include the kinds of interpersonal and self-initiating capacities that permit effective engagement in working life, and the means to participate constructively and effectively in work.Whilst these stand Promoting student readiness for work-life through internships: 345 Challenges and support as demanding educational goals, they are, nevertheless, important for contemporary working life.Understanding how occupational practice is enacted in specific workplace settings is essential for working in teams comprising those from other occupations, as well as being punctual, reliable, able to work both indepen

FAQs

Why do tertiary education programs include internships and other workplace experiences?

Tertiary education must prepare graduates not only academically but also with capacities to work effectively in changing job markets. Workplace experiences are used to generate employability capacities and support work-life readiness.

What contributions do internships provide according to the quantitative interview analysis?

Internships contribute through students’ intentional engagement and their readiness for working life, helping develop the adaptability needed for effective participation in contemporary work.

What challenges interns face, and how can support help?

Challenges include adapting to new work environments, navigating workplace practices, and building occupational capacities. Support from supervisors and host institutions suggests adaptability can be enhanced by aligning received support with engagement in internship challenges.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran