«Internships: Is It Time for a Reform?» by Belén López

At the end of my third year of university, as I was preparing to look for an internship over the summer and extend my Erasmus stay in the United Kingdom, I discovered that internship programs there were quite different from those in Barcelona. In the UK, short internships are rare. What’s most common are twelve-month placements for undergraduates, designed to complement their three years of academic study. These placements allow students to put their knowledge into practice, strengthen their skills, gain experience, and often experience full-time work for the very first time. Many companies also offer internship programs for recent graduates, and in many cases former interns return to the company once they have completed their studies. During these programs, both students and graduates are given real responsibilities and become full members of the team. Not only that, but they are also paid at least the legal minimum salary and enjoy the same holiday entitlement as other employees.

In Barcelona, internship periods must be governed by an agreement with a university or affiliated institution, in accordance with current regulations. Therefore, in order to adopt the British model, it would be necessary to promote an update to the legal framework, as well as to review and adjust study programs to enable more enriching internships, with better conditions and closer alignment to professional realities. Barcelona has all the ingredients to lead this change: a broad and diverse business ecosystem, with great potential to offer high-quality internship programs and welcome young talent, along with an extensive network of universities. Embracing this model would strengthen the link between academia and industry, while also helping to attract and retain talent in Barcelona.