Situational Analysis of the Willingness to Accept Interns, Benefits and Challenges of Academic Internship Programmes to Host Organisations: Empirical Evidence from Ghana
Eric Kwadwo Amissah
Department of Graphic Design and Technology, Faculty of Applied Arts and Technology, Takoradi Technical University, Post Office Box-256, Takoradi, Ghana.
Frank B. K. Twenefour *
Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Takoradi Technical University, Post Office Box-256, Takoradi, Ghana.
Kwabena Nduro
Department of Graphic Design and Technology, Faculty of Applied Arts and Technology, Takoradi Technical University, Post Office Box-256, Takoradi, Ghana.
Emmanuel Asare Ayim
Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Takoradi Technical University, Post Office Box-256, Takoradi, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Most technical universities in Ghana have recently begun paying much-needed attention to industrial attachment programs or exercises. This follows from their primary goal of educating students to develop the practical skills and pertinent competencies required for entering the workforce or starting their businesses. Most studies on the subject have emphasized the advantages of the exercise for students, host organizations, and academic institutions. The current study concentrated on observing participating organizations' attitudes in continuing the internship program and the advantages and difficulties these businesses have while taking on students on attachment. The article employed the descriptive-exploratory research survey design to execute the research. The findings from the paper revealed that participating organisations face four major challenges in accepting students on internship; inadequate space, health insurance cover for interns, poor attitude towards training and outmoded curricula.
Keywords: Higher educational institutions (HEIs), internship programs, participating or host organizations, students