Towards Quality Internships & ApprenticeshipsIntroducing the Quality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A) tool

An Enterprise 2020 initiativeEuropean Business Campaign on Skills for Jobs

Table of Contents Executive summary 1Introduction 2

1 Context: Quality at the heart of the debate oninternshipsandapprenticeships 3

2 QIA-A:Atooltobenchmarkthequalityofinternships /apprenticeshipswithincompanies 4

3 Initialresults:Strengthsandweaknessesofcurrentpractice 9

4 Conclusionsandnextsteps 11

Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships 12

Table of Contents Executive summary 1Introduction 2

1 Context: Quality at the heart of the debate oninternshipsandapprenticeships 3

2 QIA-A:Atooltobenchmarkthequalityofinternships /apprenticeshipswithincompanies 4

3 Initialresults:Strengthsandweaknessesofcurrentpractice 9

4 Conclusionsandnextsteps 11

Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships 12

Internships and apprenticeships are seen as a useful tool to smooth the transition from education-work for young people in Europe. Alongside the debate on how to increase the capacity of employers to offer this type of workplace experience, comes the concern on how to ensure their quality. This is reflected in recent initiatives such as the European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships (2010), the European Commission’s Quality Framework on Traineeships (2013), the European Alliance on Apprenticeships (2013) and the Global Apprenticeship Network (2013).

Inresponsetogrowingexpectationsfromsocietyandpolicymakersforcompaniestoensurethequalityoftheirinternshipsandapprenticeshipsschemes,CSREurope,Microsoft,ImprontaEticaandtheEuropeanYouthForum(YFJ)developedtheQualityInternships&ApprenticeshipsAssessment(QIA-A)tool,apracticalbenchmarkassessmenttoolthatallowsanygivencompanyto:

1. Identifywhetherithasthenecessaryprocesses inplacetoassurethequalityandeffectiveness ofitsinternship/apprenticeshipschemes

2. Compareitsresultswithothercompanies,to identifybestpracticesandareasforimprovement

QIA-AisbasedontherequirementsoutlinedintheEuropeanQualityCharteronInternships&Apprenticeships,(“theCharter”),developedbytheYFJ.Itfocusesontenkeyindicatorsforinternships/apprenticeshipsaspartofeducationandsixadditionalindicatorsforinternshipsoutsideofeducation.Together,theassessmentagainsttheseindicatorsprovidesabalancedpictureofthequalityoftheinternships/apprenticeshipsacompanyoffers.

Thetoolgroupstheindicatorsunderfourkeyareas ofperformanceandrelatedbusinessprocesses:

1. Governance2. Recruitment3. Qualityoflearning4. Labourconditions

Companiesparticipatinginthebenchmark assessmentreceivedanaveragescoreof84%againstanidealsituationof100%,whichshowsthat(large,multinational)companieshavemostofthenecessaryprocessesinplacetooffermeaningfulandqualitativeinternships/apprenticeships.However,somepoints stillrequireongoingattention.Mostimportantly:

• Providingafaircompensationforworkperformedoutsideofworkinghours;

• Preparingsupervisorsfortheirrole;

• Givinginterns/apprenticestheopportunitytodiscusstheirprogressandpotentialjobopportunitiesduringintermediateappraisalmeetings;

• Developingguidelines/policiesforhowinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldbestructuredacrosstheorganisation.

CSREuropeanditspartnerswillfurtherendeavourtoincreasethequalityofinternshipsandapprenticeshipsthroughdifferentactivitiesandprojects.Thiswillhelpcompaniestoguaranteeagoodpathwayforyoung peopletowardsjobsandemployment. 

Executive Summary

1

Introduction

In April 2013, CSR Europe, Microsoft, Impronta Etica and the European Youth Forum (“YFJ”) started a collaborative project to improve the quality of internships and apprenticeships within business. Central in this project stands the development of the Quality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A) tool. QIA-Aaimstohelpcompaniesunderstandand improvethequalityoftheirinternship/apprenticeship schemes,bybenchmarkingthemagainstpeersand therequirementsoftheEuropeanQualityCharter onInternships&Apprenticeships(“theCharter”). Ithasbeentestedwith15companiestodate.

Thecurrentreportservestopresentthetool andtheresultsoftheinitialbenchmark.

2

Internships1 and apprenticeships are increasingly common practice in Europe to facilitate young people’s transition from education to work. According to a recent Eurobarometer study2, about 46% of EU citizens aged 18-35 have done an internship and 26% an apprenticeship in their past. Besides providing young people with practical, real-life experience in the workplace, these work immersions also bring concrete benefits for companies in terms of an increased access to talent and an enhanced employer reputation.

Despitethesebenefits,concernshavealsobeenexpressedregardingtheworkingconditionsduringcertaininternships/apprenticeships,aswellasregardingtheireffectivelearningcontentandoutcomes3.TheaforementionedEurobarometerstudyshowssixoutoftenrespondentsdidnotreceiveanyfinancialcompensationduringtheirlastinternshipandmorethanoneinfourdoesnotbelievetheirexperiencewasorwillbeusefulinfindingajob.

Totackletheseissues,anumberofinitiativeshaverecentlybeenlaunchedtoimprovethequalityofinternships/apprenticeshipsandpromotebestpractice.Afewexamplesare:

1. In2010,theYFJcameoutwiththeEuropean Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships4,adocumentthatlaysbasicprinciplesforinternshipsandapprenticeshipstobecomeavaluableandqualityexperienceforyoungpeople.IthasbeendevelopedinconsultationwiththeEuropeanTradeUnionConfederation,YFJ’smemberorganisationsandotherNGOs.Itiscurrentlysupportedby14MembersoftheEuropeanParliament,aswellascompaniesandorganisationswhosignasacommitmenttostrivetoimplementsuchqualitystandardsintheirworkplace.

2. TheCharteralsoservedasanimportantinputfor theEuropeanCommissionindraftingitsproposal for a Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships5,whichwasacceptedbytheCouncilon10March2014.Thedocumentoutlinesacommonsetofprinciplestobeincludedinnationallegislationorpractice,whichtogethershouldensuretheminimumqualityofthesocalled“openmarket”internshipsthattakeplaceoutsideaformaleducationalcontext.

3. Onthe2July2013,DGEmployment,SocialAffairsandInclusionandDGEducationandCulturejointlylaunchedtheEuropeanAlliance for Apprenticeships6.Thetwocoreactivitiesunderthisinitiativeare:

A Buildingupanetworkofambassadors(professionals) tosupportSMEsinincreasingthenumberandquality ofapprenticeshipsofferedand;

B Gatheringpledgesfromawidevarietyofstakeholders toimprovetheaccesstoandsupplyofapprenticeships, andtoincreasetheirqualityandattractiveness.

4. Similarly,inDecember2013,theInternationalOrganisationofEmployersandtheBusinessandIndustryAdvisoryCommitteetotheOECD,withthesupportoftheInternationalLabourOrganization,launchedtheGlobal Apprenticeship Network7.Theaimofthisnetworkistoforgeacoalitionofcompaniesthat:

A Offerinternships/apprenticeships;

B Sharebestpractice;

C Advocateforanimprovedsocialstatusof apprenticeshipsand;

D Buildcapacitytoestablishnational/regionalnetworks.

AgainstthisbackgroundandaspartoftheEuropeanBusinessCampaignonSkillsforJobs8,CSREuropelaunched aprojectnamed“Quality Internships & Apprenticeships” inApril2013,incollaborationwithMicrosoft,ImprontaEticaandtheYFJ.ThemainaimofthisprojectwastotranslatetheCharterintoapracticalassessmenttoolonthestatusofacompany’sinternships/apprenticeshipsrelatedprocesses.Thecurrentreportfocusesontheworkthathasbeendonetodevelop/deploythisassessmenttool,whichwasnamedtheQuality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A). 

Footnotes1 The words ‘traineeship’ and ‘stage’ are often used interchangeably with the word ‘internship’. 2 EUROBAROMETER, The Experience of Traineeship in the EU, November 20133 EUROBAROMETER, The Experience of Traineeship in the EU, November 2013, p.5; DG EMPL, Apprenticeship supply in the Member States of the EU, January 2012, p.12.4 The full text of the Charter has been taken up in Annex. Website: http://qualityinternships.eu/support/. 5 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0857:FIN:EN:PDF 6 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/alliance_en.htm 7 http://www.global-apprenticeships.org/ 8 http://www.csreurope.org/skills-jobs

Context: Quality at the heart of the debate on internships and apprenticeships1

3

A. Objective and scope of QIA-A9

TheaimoftheQIA-Atoolistoallowanygivencompanytoidentifywhetherithastheprocessesinplacetoassurethequalityandeffectivenessofitsinternship/apprenticeshipschemesandtobenchmarktheirperformanceagainstpeersandtherequirementsoftheCharter.

Thefollowingdefinitionsareusedforinternshipsandapprenticeshipsinrelationtothetool:

• Apprenticeships arework-orientedtrainingsthatarepartofvocationaleducationandtraining(VET)andthatformallycombineperiodsofpracticalworkexperienceataworkplacewithperiodsoftheoretical/practicaleducationfollowedinaschoolortrainingcentre,andwhosesuccessfulcompletionleadstonationallyrecognisedqualifications10;

• Internshipsarework-basedlearningopportunities,either takingplaceaspartofformaleducation(withinternshavingastudentstatus)oroutsideofformaleducation(alsoaftergraduation),duringwhichapersonspendsaperiodoftimeinanenterpriseororganisationtoacquirespecificcompetenciesrequiredbythelabourmarket11.

Whilealltypesofinternships/apprenticeshipsarecovered12 byQIA-A,adifferentiationismadebetweeninternships/apprenticeshipstakingplaceaspartofeducation/trainingandinternshipsoutsideofeducation.Generally,thereisconsensusthatmoreissuesarisewiththelattertype.Thereforeanadditionalsetofcriteriaisappliedtotheseinternships.Thiswillbefurtherexplainedinthenextsection.

B. Structure & methodologyThe QIA-A tool consists of two parts:

1. Aquestionnairewhichtranslatestherequirements oftheCharterintopractical‘yes’/’no’questions.

2. Ascoringmechanismthatallowsthedifferent companiestakingpartintheassessmenttobe comparedwithoneanotherandevaluatedagainst therequirementsoftheCharter.

A. QuestionnaireThe framework of the questionnaire (see figure 1) consists of four layers:1. Onthemostgenerallevel,itidentifiesfour key areas

thatarerelevantforthequalityofaninternshiporapprenticeshipfromacompanyperspective.Theseare: Agovernance,Brecruitment,Cqualityoflearningand Dlabourconditions.

2. Subsequently,eachofthesefourareasisbroken downintoanumberofkey indicatorsthattogetherprovideabalancedpictureoftheoverallqualityofaninternshiporapprenticeship.Acoresetof10indicators(‘coreindicators’)appliestoalltypesofinternships/apprenticeships(withinandoutsideofeducation),while6‘additionalindicators’areconsideredspecificallyrelevantforinternshipsoutsideofeducation.

3. Inanextstep,eachoftheseindicatorsisassessedbyoneormorepractical and process-related ‘yes’/’no’ questions,whichcorrespondtotherequirements outlinedintheCharter.

4. Finally,whereaquestionstilloffersroomforinterpretation,additional criteriaareprovided,tohelptherespondentdecidewhetheraquestionshouldbeansweredwith‘yes’or‘no’.

B. Scoring methodologyThescoringmethodologyrestsontheassumptionthateachkeyindicatorcanbeattributedthesameweightinensuringthattheinternship/apprenticeshipbringsrelevantlearningoutcomesandisconductedinaqualitativeworkingenvironment.

• Eachindicatorcanreceiveatotalmaximumscoreof‘1’;

• Togetherthisaddsuptoatotalmaximum scoreof‘10’forthecoreindicatorsand‘6’fortheadditionalindicators;

• Eachindicatorisbrokendowninoneormorequestions.Foreachquestion,ascore‘0’isawardedforeach‘no’andascorebetween‘0,25’and‘1’toeach‘yes’,dependingonthenumberofquestionsunderthatindicator.

9 http://www.global-apprenticeships.org/

10 Definition based on the Erasmus + Programme Guide (p. 255): http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/ erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf

11 Definition based on the Charter (p.1) and the Erasmus + Programme Guide (p. 159).

12 It could be discussed whether schemes such as ‘management traineeships’ or ‘(young) graduate programs’ that aim to fast-track recent graduates with high potential into management positions also fall under the common denominator of Internships. This type of schemes is usually based on a 2-3 year rotational system within the company, during which the person completes different projects in different departments, countries or content areas. As the employment offer and benefits for this type of internships is sometimes better than for entry-level positions, they are not considered a relevant target group for QIA-A.

QIA-A: A tool to benchmark the quality of internships/apprenticeships2This material is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en_US.

4

PART 1: CORE INDICATORS

AREA KEy INDICATOR QuESTION TO ASSESS whEThER ThE COmPANy hAS A SPECIfIC PROCESS IN PlACE

ADDITIONAl CRITERIA

GOvErnAnCE

1. Multi-stakeholder approach

A Does your company partner/engage with at least one of the following stakeholders to develop the content/framework of the internships/apprenticeships offered:

• Educationalinstitutes• Trainingprovidersoremploymentagencies• Socialpartners• Employerrepresentativebodies

(tradeassociation,ChamberofCommerce)

• Atleastengagingwiththestakeholder(s)fortherecruitmentof candidates

2. Policy/guidelines B Doesyourcompanyhaveapolicy/setofguidelinestoinform thewayinternships/apprenticeshipsareorganised(eitherat HQorofficelevel)?

• Written(setof)document(s)oronlinetool(s)

• Containingclarifications/instructionstostreamlinetheprocedurefor aninternship/apprenticeship(and/oranythingrelatedtoit)across theorganisation

rECruITmEnT3. Transparency of information in recruitment

C Are the following elements clearly communicated during the recruitment process:

• Jobdescription• Lengthoftheinternship/apprenticeship• Detailsaboutremuneration/reimbursementofcosts

• Thefutureintern/apprenticehaseasyaccesstothisinformation (e.g.informationprovidedontherecruitmentwebsite,duringan interview,indocuments/emailssenttotheperson)

• Theinformationisprovidedbeforethepersonformallyagreestodo theinternship/apprenticeship,whetherornotthisisconcludedby signingawrittentypeofagreement

• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered

QuAlITy OF lEArnInG

4. Qualified supervisor

D Istheintern/apprenticeprovidedwithacompanysupervisor(s)duringhis/herinternship/apprenticeship?

• Dedicatedpersonthatsupervisestheintern/apprenticeontheactual(content)workhe/sheisdoing

E Doesyourcompanyprepareasupervisorforhis/herrole assupervisor(e.g.specifictraining)?

• Anytypeofsupportspecificallytailoredtoworkingwithinterns/ apprentices(training,handbook,regularworkinggroup,briefing sessions,detailedbriefingemail)

• Systemtoensureeverysupervisorreceivesthissupport/preparation

F Istherealimittotheamountofinterns/apprenticesthatcan beassignedtoonesupervisor?

• Lookingatthepractice,thereisarule(establishedorunspoken)tolimitthenumberofinterns/apprenticesthatcanbeassignedtoonesupervisor

G Istherealowerlimittothenumberofyearsofexperience asupervisormusthave?

• Lookingatthepractice,thereisarule(establishedorunspoken)toassigninterns/apprenticesonlytosupervisorsthathaveaminimumnumberofyearsofrelevantworkingexperience.Thiscanalsobelinkedtoacertainposition(e.g.linemanager,teamleader,…)

Figure 1: Outline of questionnaire, including core indicators in part 1 and additional indicators in part 2.

5

PART 1: CORE INDICATORS (Continued)

ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE

AddITIOnAl CrITErIA

QuAlITy OF lEArnInG

5. Regular interaction with supervisor

H Arethereregularmeetings(minimumonepermonth) betweentheintern/apprenticeandthesupervisor(s)?

• Ameetingisinterpretedasamomentwheretheintern/apprenticehastheopportunitytodiscusstheworkhe/sheisdoingwiththesupervisor(e.g.dailyinteraction,weeklymeeting)

6. Complaints channel

I Doestheintern/apprenticehaveaccesstoacomplaints channelincaseofanyissuesoccurringduringtheinternship?

• Acomplaintschannelisadedicatedperson/toolthepersoncanreverttoincaseofproblems(e.g.dedicatedcontactpointinHR,anonymoushotline,…),otherthanthesupervisor

• Thepersonisclearlyinformedabouttheexistenceofsuch achannelatthebeginningoftheinternship

7. Process to ensure personal development

J Istheintern/apprenticeprovidedwithlearningobjectives atthebeginningoftheinternship?

• Clearlydefinedlistoftechnical/personalcompetenciestheintern/apprenticeisexpectedtoacquireduringtheinternship/apprenticeship

• Clearcommunicationofthoseobjectivestotheintern/apprentice

• Definitionoflearningobjectiveshappensbefore/atthebeginningoftheinternship/apprenticeship

K Doesyourcompanyofferatleastoneintermediateappraisalmeetingwiththeintern/apprenticetomonitorprogress againstthelearningobjectives?

• Dedicatedmeeting(otherthanregularmeeting/timeofcontactbetweenthepersonandthesupervisor)

L Attheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship,doesyourcompanyofferperformanceevaluation,includinge.g.strengthsandareasforimprovement?

• Dedicatedmeeting/proceduretoevaluatetheinternship/apprenticeshiptowardstheendoftheperiod(preferablyassessingperformanceagainstlearningobjectivesandto providefeedbackontheperson’spersonalcompetencies)

6

PART 1: CORE INDICATORS (Continued)

ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE

AddITIOnAl CrITErIA

lABOur COndITIOnS

8. Written & legal agreement

M Doesyourcompanyofferawrittenandlegallybindingcontract,stipulating:

• Lengthoftheinternship/apprenticeship• Detailsaboutremuneration/compensation• Descriptionoftasks

• Anytypeofwrittenagreement(e.g.offerletter,projectplan,adaptationofanormalemployeecontract,…)thatissignedbyboththecompanyandtheintern/apprentice,andthatisnotinconflictwithnationallabourlaw

• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered

9. Fair compensation

N Doesyourcompanyofferadditionalcompensationforworkperformedoutsideofstandardworkinghours,e.g.overtime?

• Thereisasysteminplacetotrackovertime

• Interns/apprenticesreceiveadditionalcompensation accordingtotheovertimetheyhaveperformed

O Areinterns/apprenticesreimbursedorotherwisecompensatedforcostsincurredduringtheinternship/apprenticeship?

• Interns/apprenticesreceivereimbursementofanytypeofexpensetheyhavetoincurbecauseofwork-relatedactivities(e.g.travelexpenses,businesslunches/dinners,attendanceofpaidevents,…)

• Forinternships/apprenticeshipspartofeducation,interns/apprenticesreceivereimbursementforadditionallivingexpensesincurredbecauseoftheinternship/apprenticeship(e.g.costsrelatedtowork-hometravelasopposedtonormaltransportexpenseswhenthepersonisfollowingcourses;ifnecessary,housing)orafixedamountthatrealisticallycan coverforthis

10. Transparent communication regarding relevant rights/duties

P Istheintern/apprenticeinformedatthebeginningoftheinternship/apprenticeshipofhis/herrelevantrightsandduties,including:

• Health&Safetyrisks• Socialandlabourrights• Responsibilitiestowardstheorganisation

• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered

7

PART 2: ADDITIONAl INDICATORS

ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE

AddITIOnAl CrITErIA

rECruITmEnT

1. Public advertisement A Isthepositionpubliclyadvertised? • ‘Publiclyadvertised’denotesthatthekeyinformationabout thepositioncanbefoundonachannelthatisaccessiblebythe generalpublic(e.g.thecompany’sjobsite,arecruitmentportal,…)

2. Reasonable quantity of interns/apprentices

B Isthereadefinedlimittothenumberofinternsyourcompanyemploysatthesametime?

• Thelimitcanchangeovertime(accordingtointernalcapacity),butshouldbeaspecificcap(e.g.maximum10%ofFTE).

3. Enabling a job transition

C Doesyourcompanyprovidetheinterntheopportunitytodiscusstheoptionofbeinghiredasapermanentemployee?

• Eitherthepersonisinformedduringtherecruitmentwhetheranopportunityforpermanentemploymentcanbeofferedaftertheinternship/apprenticeship,orthishasclearlybeendiscussedbeforetheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship

D Incasetheinternisnothireduponcompletionoftheinternship,doesyourcompanysupporthim/herinanywayinthetransitiontofindingpermanentwork?

• Anyactivitythatcanhelpthepersonmoveforwardprofessionallyisaccepted(e.g.providethestakeholderthatsentthepersonwithfeedback/advisefortheorientationoftheperson;letter ofrecommendation;supportinCV-writing;…)

QuAlITy OF lEArnInG 4. Reasonable length E Doesthelengthoftheinternshipfallwithinthescopeof2-6

months?• Noneedforadditionalcriteria

lABOur COndITIOnS

5. Fair remuneration

F Areinternsentitledtoremuneration? • ‘Remuneration’denotesafixed,monthlyincome

G Istheremunerationinlinewiththenationallegislation? • Noneedforadditionalcriteria

H DoestheremunerationexceedtheEUpovertylineof60% medianincomeornationalminimumwage?

• TheEUpovertylineof60%medianincomeforeachcountry istakenfromthemostrecentEurostatnumber.

6. Access to social security systems

I Istheinternincludedinthefollowingsocialsecuritysystems:

• Healthsecurity• Unemployment• Pensionsystems

• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered

8

Initial results: Strengths and weaknesses of current practice3

Initial results

Onthebasisofthisquestionnaire,structuredinterviewshavebeenconductedwith15companies13fromsevendifferentindustries:basicmaterials(1),consumergoods(2),financials(3),healthcare(2),industrials(5),technology(1),andtelecommunications(1).ThepeopleinterviewedwereallHRprofessionals,overseeinginternships/apprenticeshipsatinternational(e.g.EMEA),nationalorofficelevelfortheircompany.Ofthecompaniesinterviewed,13offeredinternships/apprenticeshipsaspartofeducation,onecompanyofferedinternshipsoutsideofeducationexclusively,andoneofferedacombinationofthetwo.

Eachofthecompaniesthatparticipatedinaninterviewreceivedanindividualcompanyreport,basedonthescoringmethodologyoutlinedaboveandshowingtheirresultsagainsttheotherparticipants.

Theaggregatedresultsofthe15participatingcompaniesareprovidedbelow.Sinceonlytwocompaniesofferedinternshipsoutsideofeducation,theseresultswillnotbeanalysedhere,asthesampleistoolimitedtobeofvalue. Theaverageperformanceofcompaniesis84%,withonecompanyachievingthehighestpossiblescoreof100%(see figure 3).Thismeansthat,onaverage,companiesarenotlackingprocessesundermorethan2ofthecoreindicators. Lookingatthespecificprocessessupportingtheindicators,figure4showsforeachquestionhowmanycompaniesreporttohavethespecificprocessthequestioninquiresaboutinplace. well-established processes

Allcompaniesreporttohavefollowingprocessesinplace:

• Partneringwithstakeholders(atleastforrecruitmentpurposes);

• Providingclearinformationaboutthetaskstobeperformed,thelengthoftheinternship/apprenticeshipsandtheremuneration/compensationthepersonwillreceiveduringtherecruitmentprocess;

• Havingadedicatedsupervisorforeachintern/apprentice.Allbutonecompanyalsoindicatetheintern/apprenticeregularlyhastheopportunitytodiscussthecontentoftheworkhe/sheisdoingwiththesupervisor.Mostoftenthishappenseitheronadailybasisorinaweeklyorbi-weeklymeeting.

Additionally,forthemajorityofprocesses(75%),atleast80%ofthecompaniesinterviewedreporttohavetherequiredprocessinplace.

Footnotes13 of those companies are large multinational company members of CSR Europe; 3 are members of Impronta Etica, a CSR Europe National Partner Organisation in Italy.

Figure 3: Overall performance across participating companies core indicators

A. Partnering with stakeholders 151515

1414

1313131313

1212

3 6 9 12 15

119

85

C. Clear comm. in recruitmentD. Dedicated supervisor(s)

H. Regular mee ngs w. supervisorJ. Learning objec ves

F. Limited amount/supervisorL. Final evalua on

M. ContractO. Expense reimbursement

P. Clear commun on on rights/du esG. Experience of supervisor

I. Complaints channelB. Policy/ guidelines

K. Intermediate appraisalE. Support to supervisor

N. Compensa on over me

Figure 4: Number of companies that have the required process in place. The colours indicate to which area the process belongs: governance (blue), recruitment (purple), quality of learning (red) and labour conditions (green).

9

0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Best

in c

lass

Low

est S

core

B

98%

C

98%

D

95%

E

93%

F

88%

G

84%

H

83%

I J

83% 83%

K L

76% 76%

M N

72% 72%

O

63%

A

100%

Totalscore(sum

ofa

llindicators)

Companies

Average 84%

Initial results: Strengths and weaknesses of current practice (Continued)3

processes that are often weak or lacking:

Figure4alsoshowsthatanumberofprocessesarelesswellestablished,namely:

• Fewcompanieshaveasysteminplacetotrackwhetherinterns/apprenticesdoovertimeandtocompensatethemaccordinglyiftheydo.Inthiscontext,someofthecompanieshavestatedthatinternsarenotallowedtoworkoutsideworkinghoursandthatsupervisorsmonitorthiswell.Whilethisapproachmayworkinspecificcases,thisisnotseenasastructuredprocessthatcanensureinternsinthatorganisationwillnotworkoutsideworkinghoursingeneral.

• Onlyhalfofthecompaniesindicatetohaveaprocessinplacewhichmakessurethatallsupervisorsarepreparedtoworkwithinterns/apprenticesspecifically(forexamplethroughdedicatedtraining,ahandbook/manualorcontactswiththeHRdepartment).Companiesthatdonotprovidethiskindofsupportoftenindicatethatsupervisorsarepeoplewithacertainlevelofsenioritythathavegonethroughpeoplemanagementtrainingandarethereforeconsideredcapabletoworkwithinterns/apprenticesaswell.However,sinceinterns/apprenticesmayhavespecificneedsorcharacteristicsthataredifferentfromfull-timeemployees,thisisnotseenasasufficientpreparationforthesupervisor.

• Inanumberofcases,ithasalsobeenindicatedthattherearenospecificmeetingssetbetweenthesupervisorandtheintern/apprenticeduringthetimethepersonisworkingatthecompanytoevaluateprogressagainstlearningobjectivesandtoprovidefeedbackontheperson’sskillsandcompetencies.Mostcompaniesdohaveafinalevaluationmeetingattheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship,however.

• Finally,itisalsosurprisingthatfewcompanieshaveapolicyorasetofguidelinesinplacetostreamlineinternships/apprenticeshipsacrosstheorganisation.

B. QIA-A results against the Charter

TestingtheQIA-Atoolwith15companiesinCSREurope’snetworkalsopresentedanopportunitytogainfeedbackontherequirementsoftheCharterinapracticalcompanycontext.

Overall,itcanbesaidthatfewelementsinthequestionnairewerecontestedbyparticipantsintheinterviews,indicatingthattheoverallframeworkisgenerallyaccepted.Twopointscouldbetakenintoconsideration,however,inthefurtheruseanddevelopmentoftheCharter:

1. Thedecisionwhetherornottoincludeinterns/apprenticesoutsideofeducationintosocialsecuritysystemsislargelyinfluencedbythenationalcontextandpractice.Insomeinstances,companiesdonothavethedecisionpowertoincludeinterns/apprenticesinallthreesystemsthatarementioned(asthisisregulatedbynationallegislation)orarealsonotofferinginclusioninthesesystemstoregularemployees.Therefore,itisrecommendednottoincludethisasasetrequirementintheCharter.

2. Itcouldbeconsideredtoreplacetheterm‘contract’byamoreflexibleterm,suchas‘agreement’(whichisalsousedbytheEuropeanCommissioninitsQualityFrameworkforTraineeships).Reactionstothetermcontractwerethatitraisestheexpectationthataninternship/apprenticeshipagreementshouldbemoreorlessconformtoacontractofferedtoregularemployees,whilesomeflexibilityisrequiredforinternships/apprenticeships.Thisisespeciallythecaseforinternshipsthattakeplaceinashorttimeframe(e.g.summerinternships),astheadministrativeburdenshouldbekeptlowhere.

C. policy recommendations

Finally,therespondentsofthequestionnairehavealsobeenaskedwhethertherewereanypointsinthequestionnairethatwouldcausetheircompanytostop/avoidhiringinterns/apprenticesiftheywouldbecomecompulsorybylaw.Whilearoundtwothirdsofparticipantsexpressedthattheydidnotseeanypointsthatwouldbeproblematic,threegeneralconcernsregardingpotentialfuturepolicydevelopmentsareworthwhilementioninghere:

1. Regardinginternshipsaspart of education (and in one casealsoapprenticeships),itwasadvocatedthatpolicy makers should not strive to put minimum wages in place.Inthisphaseofayoungperson’seducation,companiescanbenefitinmanywaysfromemployinghim/herforalimitedperiodoftime,butitalsorequiresacertaininvestmentinthepersonbythecompany.Itshouldthereforebeleftuptothecompanytoevaluateifthereshouldbeaformofremunerationinvolvedornot.

2. Whilethecompaniesinterviewedwouldnotrespondnegativelytowardsanattempttoputthequestionslistedinthequestionnaireintonationalframeworks,theywouldbeconcernedifthiswouldincreasetheadministrative burden toomuch(e.g.ifeachinternshipwouldneedapprovalfromasocialpartner).Ifmonitoringtoolswouldbeputinplace,theadviceistokeepthemassimpleaspossible.

3. Throughdifferentfundsandinitiatives,theEuropeanCommissionistryingtoincreasethecapacityforinternships/apprenticeshipsinthememberstates.Animportantwarninghereisthat,ifnationalquotaortargetswouldbeputinplace,thisshouldincludesupporting measures to ensure companies can maintain the level of qualityoftheschemesprovidedtointerns/apprentices.

10

Conclusions and next steps

About the project4

In light of growing attention to the quality of internships and apprenticeships in the public and policy debate, the QIA-A tool provides a useful framework for companies to evaluate where they stand in this regard. While the majority of processes described in the QIA-A questionnaire are well-established among the companies interviewed, some points require ongoing attention. These are, most importantly:

• Providingafaircompensationforworkperformedoutsideofworkinghours;

• Preparingsupervisorsfortheirrole;

• Givinginterns/apprenticestheopportunitytodiscusstheirprogressandcompetenciesduringintermediateappraisalmeetings;

• Developingguidelines/policiesforhowinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldbestructuredacrosstheorganisation.

Additionally,theengagementwith15companiesaroundthequalityoftheirinternships/apprenticeshipshasalsobroughtafewinterestingremarkstothesurfacethatcanhelptheYFJandpolicymakerscontinuetheirworkonestablishingbetterqualityframeworks.

• RegardingtheCharter,itisrecommendedthattherequirementregardingsocialsecuritysystems(forinternshipsoutsideofeducation)shouldbetakenoutofthedocumentandthattheterm‘contract’wouldbereplacedby‘agreement’;

• Whendevelopingfuturelegislationregardingqualityinternships/apprenticeships,policymakersshouldkeepthefollowingpointsinmind:minimumwagesshouldneverbecompulsoryforinternshipsaspartofeducation;legislativemeasuresshouldnotincreasetheadministrativeburdenforcompanies(toomuch);andapushforanincreasedcapacitytoprovideinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldnotgowithoutaccompanyingmeasurestomaintainthequality. 

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The Quality Internships & Apprenticeships assessment tool has been developed as part of CSR Europe’s collaborative project “Quality Internships & Apprenticeships”, co-led with member organisations Microsoft and Impronta Etica, and in partnership with the European Youth Forum.

TheprojectispartofCSREurope’sEuropeanBusinessCampaignonSkillsforJobs.Thegoalofthecampaignistostrengthenbothpathwaystojobs(strengtheningtherelationshipbetweenbusinessandeducationproviders)andworkplaceinnovation(optimisingworkersemployabilitythroughoutcareers).Byshapingmulti-stakeholderlearningnetworks,supportingtherightpolicyframeworkatEuropeanlevelandmakinggoodpracticevisible,CSREuropeaimstoinspirecompaniesandpartnerstojointhemovementandmagnifytheimpactofSkillsforJobssolutionsacrossEurope.

FormoreinformationabouttheEuropeanBusinessCampaignandtheproject,contactLiesbeth Reynders at lr@csreurope.org

disclaimer

CSR Europe maintains a policy of not acting as a representative of its members, nor does it endorse specific policies or standards. The views expressed in this report are those of its authors and not necessarily those of CSR Europe’s members or those of the leaders of the collaborative project.

Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships

more information on the European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships can be found on the dedicated website: www.qualityinternships.eu/about ThefulltextoftheCharterreadsasfollows:

preamble

Giventhat:

• Transitionphaseforyoungpeoplefromeducationtothelabourmarkethasbecomeincreasinglydifficult;

• Youtharedisproportionatelyaffectedbyunemploymentandfacestructuralchallengesinfindingquality,stableemployment,andtoearndecentincome;

• Earlylabourmarketexperiencesuchasinternshipsandapprenticeshipsareusefultofacilitateyouthaccesstolabourmarket,toeasethetransitionbetweeneducationandemploymentandtodeveloplabourmarketrelevantskills1;

• Notallpupilsorstudentshavethepossibilityandthenecessaryfinancialmeanstotakepartinqualityworktrainings(apprenticeships&internships)aspartoftheschoolcurriculaanduniversityprogrammes,includingthosethataretakingplaceabroad;

• Ismountingevidencethatworkplacements(internships)outsideformaleducationarefrequentlyreplacingqualityemploymentforyoungpeople;

• Lackofclearqualityguidelinesunderminesthemainpurposeofinternshipsandapprenticeshipsaseducationalopportunitiesthatgivepracticalskillstoyoungpeople;

• Thereisaneedformoreresearchandlabourmarketmonitoringinthisarea.

Weurgealltheprovidersofinternshipsandapprenticeshipstocommittoqualitystandardsandtoapplyaclearandcoherentcodeofconduct,leadingbyexample.

WeurgeEuropeancountries,Europeaninstitutionsandsocialpartners2tocommittoestablish(orwhereapplicablereinforcealreadyexisting)legalqualityframeworksforinternshipsandapprenticeships.

Wecalloninternshipandapprenticeshipprovidersandpublicdecisionmakerstoadoptasystemofcertificationandtoensuretherecognitionoftheknowledgeandskillsacquiredthoughinternshipsandapprenticeships.ImplementationofthisCharterdoesnotconstitutevalidgroundstoreducethegenerallevelofprotectionaffordedatnationallevel.

Article 1

Weareconvincedthatinternships and apprenticeships shouldbe primarily a learning experience and believe that:

• Internships/apprenticeshipsshouldneverleadtojobreplacement;

• Wellorganisedinternships/apprenticeshipshelpyoungpeopleacquirepracticalexperienceandaddpracticalskillstotheknowledgeandqualificationsthathavebeenpreviouslyacquiredthrougheitherformalornonformaleducation;

• Internships/apprenticeshipshelptoorientateoneselfprofessionallyandalsowidenone’sperspectivesofdifferentsectors;

• Internships/apprenticeshipsproviderecognisedworkingexperiencethatdevelopstheskillsofyoungpeopleandelevatestheirprofessionalcapacity;

• Internships/apprenticeshipsshouldbecarriedoutunderguidanceofacompetentsupervisorandhaveaccesstorobustevaluativeandcomplaintschannelstomonitorprogressandqualityoftheinternship/apprenticeshipexperience;

• Interns/apprenticesshouldbeinformedatthebeginningoftheirinternship/apprenticeshipexperienceoftheirsocialandlabourrights,workersrepresentatives,theirresponsibilitiestotheorganisation,anyhealthandsafetyrisksposedtothemthroughthepositionorattheworkplaceandareprovidedtherelevantsocialprotectionaccordingly.

Footnotes1 This Charter defines apprenticeships as work oriented trainings that are part of vocational education and training and that are solely school-based programmes or combined school and work- based programmes, both carried out in the formal education system bringing credit points. This Charter defines internships as either:

A part of higher education that brings credit points where interns have a student status, access to services like student loans, student housing, health insurance, scholarships etc.

B taking place outside formal education (also after graduation) that do not bring credit points for the diploma. Some of these internships do not have a legal status or may even be considered illegal.

C and any other form of similar work experience that is offered to young people as a work based learning opportunity.2 EU Social Partners, in their Inclusive labour markets agreement, signed in March 2010, already committed themselves for more and better traineeships and apprenticeships.

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Article 2

Webelievethat internships (as part of higher education) and apprenticeships should meet the following criteria:

• Existenceofawrittenandlegallybindingcontractbetweentheeducationalinstitution,intern/apprenticeandhostingorganisationoutliningthemainprinciplesoftheinternship/apprenticeship,includinghowmanycreditpointsthiswillcontributetothediplomaoftheintern/apprentice;adescriptionoflearningobjectivesandtasksshouldbeattachedtothecontract;

• Lengthandtasksoftheinternship/apprenticeshipcorrespondtospecifiedlearningobjectivesthataresharedwiththestudentatthebeginningofhis/herinternship/apprenticeship;

• Guidancethroughouttheinternship/apprenticeshipperiodbyasupervisor(s)trainedspecificallyfortherole;

• Therightoftheintern/apprenticetoreceivereimbursementofcostsincurredduringtheinternship/apprenticeshiporrighttoreceivefood,housing,andpublictransportationticketsinstead;

• Decentremunerationforworkcarriedoutadditionaltotherequirementsoutlinedintheinternship/apprenticeshipcontract,includingcompensationforovertime;

• Clearevaluationcriteriaoftheinternship/apprenticeshipperiod.

Article 3

Webelievethatinternships taking place outside/after formal education should ideally not exist however where they exist they should meet the following criteria:

• Existenceofawrittenandlegallybindingcontractoutliningthelength,remunerationoftheinternship,adescriptionoflearningobjectivesandtasksshouldbeattachedtothecontract;

• DecentremunerationnotbelowtheEUpovertylineof60%medianincomeornationalminimumwage,ifmorefavourable,inaccordancetothetaskswhichareperformedbytheinternandtoworkinghours(overtimeshouldbeadditionallycompensated).Internshipremunerationshouldberegulatedeitherinlaworcollectiveagreementsinaccordancewithnationalpractice;

• Useofinternshipsshouldbelimitedtopupils,studentsandveryrecentgraduates,lengthofinternshipsperiodshouldberestrictedtoareasonableandfixednumberofmonths;

• Reimbursementofcostsincurredduringtheinternship;

• Inclusionoftheinterninthesocialsecuritysystem,especiallythoseofhealth,unemployment,pensionsystems;mid-termevaluation,discussionofthepossibilitiestobehiredasapermanentemployeeduringtheinternshipperiodandafinalevaluationattheend oftheinternshipperiod;

• Limitednumberofinternsperinternshipprovider;

• Transparentadvertisingthatincludesadetailedtaskdescriptionandworkingconditions.

Article 4

Weurgethecompetentstakeholderstoprogressively develop the following support and monitoring policies for a better implementation of quality internships:

4.1 Legal framework and recognition of skills

• Internshipsshouldbegivenaplaceinthenationallegislationandemployersshouldbeprovidedassistancetoanylegalenquiriesrelatedtotheimplementationprocess;

• AttheEuropeanlevelthereshouldbemechanismsinplacetopromotetheexchangeofbestpracticesintheareaandtheimplicationofthemaincriteriathatdefinequalityinternships;

• NationalandEuropeansystemsforcertificationandrecognitionofknowledgeandskillsacquiredthoughinternshipsshouldbeinplacetofurthersupporttosmoothintegrationofyoungpeopleinthelabourmarketandsupportyouthlabourmobility.

4.2 Monitoring and statistics

• Statisticsshouldbeavailableoninternships,nationallyandatEuropeanlevel,withaspecialfocuson:thenumberofinternshipsavailable,theaveragelengthofinternships,thesocialbenefitsbeingmadeavailableforinterns,theallowancespaidtointerns,theagegroupsofinterns;

• Anoverviewshouldbeavailable,nationallyandatEuropeanlevel,onthedifferentinternshipschemesandtheirplacewithinthelegalsystems.

4.3 Partnerships

• Nationalpartnershipsrunbetweenschools,universities,civilsocietyorganisationsandthesocialpartnersshouldbeencouragedandsupported;

• Morecareerdevelopmentloansandinvestmentintrainingbyemployersshouldbeencouragedandsupported;

• Schoolsshouldprovideassistancetotheyoungpeoplewhentheyarelookingforasuitableapprenticeship;

• Studentandpupilorganisations,tradeunionsshouldbeavailabletoprovideassistancetointernsthroughouttheinternshipperiod.

FormoreinformationaboutCSREurope,itsnationalpartnerorganisationnetworkortobecomeamemberpleasecontactStefanCrets,ExecutiveDirector, at sc@csreurope.org

CSR Europe RueVictorOudart7 1030Schaerbeek Brussels Belgium

www.csreurope.org Twitter @CSREuropeOrg Tel: 003225411610 Fax: 003225028458 Email: info@csreurope.org

Published:July2014