Organisations should integrate internship programmes into their workplaces to provide ample opportunities to young graduates and students, as well as link the academia and the job-market, David Karuletwa, chief operating officer at RSwitch, Rwanda’s electronic payments switch, has said.

Karuletwa said it is important for organisations to incorporate and strengthen internship placement programmes, arguing that this will help students and universities to customise their education to what’s happening outside school.

"In some sectors, like the finance technology, we need specific skills–set,” said, adding that the firm though provides internship training to students from various disciplines.

Karuletwa was speaking during a one-day workshop on the role of structured internships and training in corporate success that was organised by Bridge2Rwanda (B2R), an American non-governmental organisation, which offers preparatory lessons to high school leavers who qualify for scholarships in American universities.

It was held under the theme, "Invest in success through intern training” and some of the topics discussed include ‘why and how should organisations develop internship programmes’.

While most companies and organisations target graduates with specific skills and want students who will be able to deliver, Karuletwa noted that supporting initiatives that create awareness on the importance of internship could enable firms to build strong internship programmes.

"This should be part of every company’s strategy. In the financial technology sector, we demand specific skills, but it is through internships that we get some of the staff that meet our need. The (internship) programme creates a link between education system and organisations workforce,” he said.

Sidonie Gwet, a senior consultant at ES Partners, urged companies to use internships as part of their hiring strategy.

"Besides supporting students to understand what’s happening in the market, companies need to understand that structured internships and trainings can be used as a hiring strategy. Many of these students have skills, and that should be value. Although most of them join junior positions, they bring fresh knowledge and new way of looking and doing things,” she noted.

It was observed during the workshop that many local companies prefer graduates who study from abroad to those trained in local universities, which affects their (locally-trained) chances of employment and growth.

Speaking at the workshop, Nick Barigye, the director for operations and strategic management at Karisimbi Business Partners, said, "Firms think that because these students have a Western background, they can be more productive.

"Besides, many of the locally-trained graduates face the challenge of poor writing skills. It’s a fact that many can hardly write reports. This limits their employability… companies are reluctant to hire such graduates.”

Commenting on the workshop, Happiness Uwase, the career development associate at B2R, said the organisation is committed to preparing students and young graduates through such sessions, where they connect them with the market and business leaders.

"B2R wants to create the future generation of Africans by enabling them to access international education, but also encourage them to contribute to their countries’ development. We are, therefore, calling on private and public institutions to give students and fresh graduates an opportunity to use and sharpen their skills,” she said. Uwase added that internship placements also benefit firms, providing them fresh ideas and skilled personnel.

Participants, that included business leaders, managers, lecturers, students and HR managers, rooted for internships, arguing that they are important for the development of young professionals as they pursue their careers.

"Therefore, employers have a duty to always strive to assist them in this goal.”