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Internships are a key first career step for youths looking to enter various fields of work. An internship with a private enterprise provides students a professional learning and mentoring experience where they gain skills and practical knowledge. Further, it consolidates the knowledge acquired during theoretical training. However, many actors are needed to set up effective internships and it is critical to ensure the placement is beneficial for the company as well as for the trainee. In this process, it is necessary to navigate through a complex cooperation landscape of public and private training operators, private sector companies, diverse facilitating parties, and – most importantly – the trainees themselves.

The knowledge product at hand illustrates the steps necessary for creating and implementing such an internship. Four country examples from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique add further practical insights on how internship placements were carried out and which concrete tools strengthen the role of internships as a step towards increased employment prospects for the interns later on.

The guide is intended for key players involved in organising internship placements in agricultural and agri-food businesses. It’s specifically designed to help prepare internship placements by cooperating with private enterprises to create quality internship programmes. On a broader scale, these are a valuable puzzle piece for capacity and skills development of youth in the agri-food sector, as well as matching them to potential employers to tackle the problems of youth unemployment.

Contact

Frank Bertelmann frank.bertelmann@giz.de