Internship Barometer
Higher education internships support career development. Read about students’ experiences with internships.
Internships provide students with valuable practical skills, career readiness, and networking opportunities. They also help clarify career plans and develop professional identity, making internships an essential part of professional growth.
Finding an Internship Has Become More Challenging
65% of students find getting an internship somewhat difficult or very difficult. This issue is exacerbated by the tight economic climate, which has also limited companies’ ability to hire interns. As higher education institutions increase student numbers, competition for internships in the field intensifies. Nowadays, many future designers graduate without industry experience, and the challenges particularly affect students who lack existing industry connections.
Many respondents emphasized feeling privileged to have secured an internship, as not all students manage to find placements in their field. A lack of internships can delay the graduation of university of applied sciences students, for whom internships are a mandatory part of their studies. Students expressed a need for more guidance and support in finding internship opportunities, as well as clearer information about the practical requirements of completing an internship. Collaboration between higher education institutions and companies could enhance students’ chances on finding an internship.
Paid Internships on the Rise
The number of paid internships has increased, but unpaid internships remain common, particularly among university of applied sciences students. In 2024, 57% of internships were paid, which is 10 percentage points more than in 2021. Paid internships improve students’ financial security, motivation, and learning. Increasing the number of paid internships is a key goal for promoting equity among students and improving the field’s reputation.
In 2024, the average monthly salary for a design intern was €1,990, and the median was €1,935—approximately 30% higher than three years earlier.
Improvements Needed in Orientation and Feedback
Most internship placements followed good workplace practices. Compared to previous years, positive progress was seen particularly in employers’ communication of students’ rights and responsibilities, although there is still room for improvement. Almost all respondents had a written agreement for their internship, but only 67% received a certificate of employment for their placement.
While many respondents felt their internship provided a good learning environment, the quality of feedback and guidance was still seen as lacking. However, the work atmosphere, tasks, and overall experience were rated positively. Respondents particularly valued how the tasks they learned during the internship were beneficial to their career development.
The survey highlighted that employers could benefit from unified guidelines on how to onboard interns. Such guidelines could enhance interns’ well-being and increase the effectiveness of the internship experience.
About the survey
Ornamo conducted the Internship Barometer in late 2024 to assess internship practices in Finnish higher education institutions within the design field. The survey, first conducted in 2018, was available in Finnish and English and targeted design students who had completed internships.
The data was collected via an online survey in November 2024, with responses from 67 higher education design students. The survey focused on students who had completed internships in 2021 or later. Responses were received from nearly all institutions offering design education: two universities and six universities of applied sciences.
Of the respondents, 84% study at universities of applied sciences, while 16% are university students. Most respondents began their studies before 2021 (69%). Only 6% started before 2018, and the fewest respondents began in 2024 (1%).
75% of respondents were women, 19% men, 4% identified as other gender, and 1% preferred not to disclose their gender. Most respondents were under 30 years old (53%). The respondent group was predominantly female and consisted mainly of young university of applied sciences students, reflecting the overall statistical profile of design students.
Responses were received from nearly all institutions offering design education. The most common fields of study among respondents were design (39%), interior architecture (19%), service design (13%), and industrial design (10%).
