Improving project-based internships is critical for providing young people with the professional, digital, and ‘soft skills’ required to succeed in today’s employment market. Project-based internships equip teenagers to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern workplace and contribute successfully to the economy by giving practical experience, fostering digital proficiency, and boosting networking possibilities.
With this, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in China has begun a six-month campaign to promote employment for recent college graduates and registered jobless youth.
Faced with the difficult task of boosting young employment, the human resources ministry announced that in the next six months, it will provide job-seeking counselling as well as supportive policies on entrepreneurship and skill training to unemployed new graduates and jobless youths.
During the new campaign, the ministry will publish lists of job services and recruitment channels through the end of the month to inform recent graduates about where they may obtain these services. In addition, the government would compile a list of registered jobless youths and unemployed college graduates.
During this time, the ministry will provide these unemployed graduates and youngsters with one employment policy introduction, one career counselling, three job recommendations, and one skills training or internship.
Job fairs will be held both online and in person. The ministry stated that it will improve job services so that young people can access information or job-seeking advice within a 15-minute stride.
Jobless graduates and youths would have access to skill training programmes in flexible jobs, advanced manufacturing, and services industries, and businesses will be encouraged to hire youths and undergraduates as apprentices.
Because of the rapid advancement of technology, the employment landscape has changed, requiring individuals to possess a wide range of competencies beyond technical expertise. Project-based internships provide valuable hands-on experience, allowing young people to apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Interns can improve problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and the capacity to work well within a team by actively participating in projects. Employers value these ‘soft skills’ because they contribute to workplace efficiency and teamwork.
Further, project-based internships provide a supportive atmosphere for young people to improve their digital skills. Proficiency in numerous digital tools, applications, and platforms is vital for professional success in today’s digital era.
Interns can obtain hands-on experience by working on projects that require the use of digital technologies, allowing them to develop vital technical skills and adapt to evolving digital trends.
According to Mao Yufei, an associate professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business School of Labour Economics, there is a mismatch between an expanding supply of college graduates and insufficient demand from businesses.
He added that the country is at a vital juncture in terms of strengthening companies’ confidence and encouraging people to increase their consumption to relieve the economic downturn’s burden, which exacerbates the scarcity of effective demand from employers.
Also, the scarcity of internships and practical experience makes it more difficult for graduates to transition from “student” to “employee” and deal with interpersonal connections and the work environment.
Mao stated that authorities can make full use of internship policies, which is an important way to relieve current employment pressures in the short term, and that it is necessary to improve project-based internships to improve youths’ professional and digital skills, as well as ‘soft skills’, to meet market demands.
