Abstract
Mandatory internships are implemented in higher education curricula in order to ease the labour market integration of graduates. This article evaluates the utility of mandatory internships in Germany by assessing the effect on graduates' transition from higher education to work. The authors examine whether these compulsory programmes provide extra benefits for graduates from families with lower educational backgrounds. Three different outcome variables are used to characterize the labour market entry: search duration until the first significant job, employment history complexity and wages five years after graduation. The results clearly indicate that compulsory internship programmes neither have a positive effect on labour market outcomes in general, nor are they particularly beneficial for graduates from lower educational backgrounds.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 969-987 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Studies in Higher Education |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 8 |
Early online date | 17 May 2011 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2011 |
Keywords
- internships
- transition from education to work
- job training programme
- Germany