1. Remuneration
In the UK, we expect private sector employers to abide by wage legislation, and we recommend that internship providers cover UK National Living Wage for interns. The UK Government webpages have a useful guide to an intern's legal status when it comes to pay. As the University of Oxford is a Living Wage Employer, colleges and departments offering internships must pay national living wage or above. International internship hosts will have to comply with local employment legislation; they should also provide remuneration similar to equivalent entry level roles within the industry.
Where appropriate, hosts are expected to provide good quality internships that are remunerated correctly for the work they expect interns to undertake.
Please see the Careers Service policy on unpaid opportunities for further details.
Internship Office Policy on Voluntary Development and Learning Opportunities
Students undertaking a learning and development opportunity like a micro-internship, volunteering for a charity or statutory body, or work-shadowing, may not be eligible for the National Living Wage. The organisation may provide reimbursement for travel and/or lunch expenses, but they aren’t obliged to do so.
Through the Micro-Internship Programme, the Internship Office facilitates voluntary development and learning opportunities with reimbursement of local travel and lunch expenses on submission of receipts. Due to the voluntary nature of micro-internships, their maximum duration is 5 days. If, following the micro-internship, the hosts wish to engage interns to undertake work or undertake a full internship, this arrangement should be made directly between hosts and interns. Hosts should remunerate students at least at the National Living Wage or above for this separate arrangement; the UK Government webpages provided useful information on wage policy and employment rights for interns.
2. Offer & Contract
Internship hosts should:
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Offer a clear description of the projects and tasks that the intern is expected to perform. If they have to be revised subsequently, it should be in agreement with the intern.
3. Learning & Content
As far as reasonably practicable, internship hosts should:
- Indicate what skills the intern could acquire during their internship
- Assign challenging tasks and projects with a high degree of responsibility
- Make sure that the intern is provided with formal and informal training so that they are able to undertake the projects and tasks to which they are assigned
- Limit the assignment of unskilled tasks
4. Supervision
Internship hosts should:
- Assign a supervisor to each intern, with a ratio not exceeding 3 interns to 1 supervisor
- Organise an introductory meeting with the intern to discuss mutual expectations, as well as learning and professional objectives of the internship
- Organise regular sessions at least once a week where the supervisor tracks the intern’s progress, gives feedback or provides support
- Structure the intern’s tasks within a work plan & a timeline (which can be revised with the intern)
5. Organisation Culture & Work Environment
Internship hosts should:
- Regardless if this is an in-person or remote-working internship, schedule some time to introduce the intern to colleagues and the new work place including facilities and health and safety procedures; explain the organisation’s objectives and values
- Acknowledge and value the intern’s contribution and achievements (e.g., public acknowledgement, name on publication, bonuses etc.)
- Provide each intern with an appropriate work station (desk, computer, software, etc.)
- Make the intern feel part of the team (include them in team building activities and celebrations)
- All interns should feel comfortable to fully express their religion as well as practices and beliefs at work
- Social and cultural events that are organised for interns should be accessible to all interns regardless of disability, gender, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation
- Hosts should promote inclusivity at events and social gatherings by offering non-alcoholic beverages
- Hosts are encouraged to support and help to provide arrangements for religious observances, such as prayer times, where possible
6. Career Development & Employment
- Provide the intern with a reference letter detailing the work undertaken/completed, the skills and experience acquired
- Organise one or more meetings between the intern and the management of the organisation to discuss their future career prospects and potential support
- Help the intern develop a strong professional network by fostering their participation in meetings, interactions and projects with clients & partners, as well as networking events
7. Practical Help
Supporting interns is particularly important when they are not native to your country or city. If you can provide advice on finding accommodation, travelling around, and medical or safety issues that might arise, this is greatly appreciated by students. What’s more, helping interns to settle in increases the likelihood of the internship succeeding, as interns will inevitably feel more confident. Some hosts provide accommodation as part of the remuneration package, others simply sign post students to cheap, good quality and safe accommodation. Also, if the intern requires a visa to work in your country they will undoubtedly turn to you for guidance. It is also useful to put together an induction pack that you can distribute to interns as soon as they have been selected so they can get on and arrange all the logistics with your guidance. Induction material could include:
- Contact details of key members of staff
- Organisation chart
- Health and safety information
- Practical information on the working environment and facilities
- Working arrangements related to office dress code, time, location, and patterns of flexible working
- Organisation's culture and value
- Local culture and places of interest
- Overview of local issues such as crime, scams that students should be aware of