Higher education internships should be a gateway to professional life, where students can apply the theories learned during their studies in practice. Unfortunately, students at Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) often find that they are ineligible for a significant number of positions because of requirements for internship subsidies. This places higher education students in an unequal position with one another.

Universities have specifically budgeted internship subsidies that students can apply for. This support is paid directly to the employer, with the aim of lowering the threshold for taking on an intern. In Universities of Applied Sciences, no such internship subsidy is in use, even though internships are a compulsory part of the degree.

When an employer requires an internship subsidy in their job advertisement, a large group of higher education students is automatically excluded. Consequently, employers miss out on considering many potential and qualified candidates. Many internship positions would be well-suited for UAS students in terms of their requirements and tasks.

“It is misleading to talk about higher education internships if the application process is not actually open to all higher education students. This creates unnecessary divisions and restrictions within the higher education sector and overlooks the need for internship placements for UAS students, which is a central part of their degree,” says Annu Suvilehto, member of the Board of SAMOK.

This is a broad structural issue. As a solution, SAMOK proposes a national internship voucher and the complete removal of internship subsidy requirements as a condition for securing a placement. This would allow all students to apply for internships on an equal footing, ensuring that recruitment focuses on relevant higher education studies, the applicant’s skills, and their motivation.

More information:

Annu Suvilehto
Member of the Board, education policy
044 736 1145
[email protected]