Internship opportunities in the UK have dropped sharply this year, creating a tougher environment for students and graduates seeking work experience.
According to job search engine Adzuna, the number of advertised internships has fallen by 30% compared with 2022, with only 3,817 opportunities available this October. At this point in 2023, there were nearly 5,500 said Adzuna. This decline mirrors the broader job market, where vacancies have fallen to a three-year low and competition for graduate jobs has reached a record high.
Internships, often considered the first step in a high-flying career, are highly sought after. About 60% of interns secure a job at their employer or within the same sector, and research shows that internships can reduce the time it takes to reach a directorship by 34%. However, only 8.7% of UK students undertake formal work experience, compared with 21.5% of US students, according to research by “immersive” internship firm Beyond Academy.
Graduate recruitment
Competition for graduate jobs hits record high
Industries such as defence, energy, and engineering are seeing a rise in available internships, while sectors like IT, finance, and law have significantly reduced placements.
James Neave, head of data science at Adzuna, said: “Internships are always competitive, but this year, with fewer spots available, it’s more intense than ever.”
“Internships are competitive for good reason”, LinkedIn career expert Charlotte Davies told The Times. “Most internships will give you an insight into different parts of the business and exposure to different teams, allowing you to find the best fit for your skill set.”
However, with many interns finding coveted positions through family connections, obtaining a place is particularly difficult for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds or without networks in their chosen sector.
Analysis carried out by the Sutton Trust in 2020 found that of the 10,000 graduates who were in internships six months after graduation, 20% were unpaid. The research author Dr Rebecca Montacute wrote that despite the increasing perception that internships were necessary for progress in many industries, the career benefits were far from guaranteed. She said: “In fact, some research indicates that working unpaid comes with a subsequent pay penalty rather than a pay boost for most – and the internships which do pay off are more likely to be dominated by the most privileged young people.”
To counteract the effect of these biases some organisations have established schemes that set out to offer opportunities to a wider group of people. Among them are charity Speakers for Schools, which offers work experience programmes online, removing cost and geographical location barriers.
There is also the 10,000 Interns Foundation which develops programmes that offer paid work experience for underrepresented groups. It provides paid internships for black students and graduates at organisations including Slaughter and May, the BBC and Morgan Stanley.
Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more human resources jobs
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
