| Summary: | This study aims to shed light on how internships’ features drive employability outcomes and
answers the question of how internships that maximize the employability of interns can be designed. The study
assumes that the duration of an internship, degree of formalization and the use of internship-specific
motivational practices by companies are likely to influence interns’ perceptions of employability.
A study among interns investigated the relationship between different
internship features and interns’ employability. Data on the duration of the internship, motivational practices
specific to internships and the formalization of the internship process were collected from a large sample of
13,565 interns in 27 European countries from 15 to 35 years old.
The findings suggest that internship duration has a curvilinear effect on employability with
increasing effects on employability at the beginning of the internship, followed by a decrease over time. In addition,
the use of practices specifically designed to motivate interns also favors the interns’ employability. Finally,
formalization of the internship placement moderates the effect of motivational practices on employability.
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