The main difference between internship and apprenticeship is that an internship is a training program offered for undergraduates where they acquire specific job-oriented skills and work experience in a particular field, while apprenticeship is training during which the trainee is exposed to a set of skills and first-hand training required for a particular occupation or a field.
Internship and apprenticeship are two on-the-job training methods. Moreover, both these training programs are significant as they provide the trainee with entry-level job experience.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is an Internship
– Definition, Features
2. What is an Apprenticeship
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Internship and Apprenticeship
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Apprenticeship, Apprentice, Internship, Intern
What is an Internship
An internship refers to a professional training experience offered to an undergraduate where he exposes himself to a practical work-related environment connected to his field of career interest or study. An internship allows the intern to explore his field of career interest beforehand and acquire the skills required for career development. From the side of the employer, it allows the employer to mingle the work environment with new energy accompanied by new ideas
Generally, an internship includes part-time or full-time work with no more than 25% of administrative or clerical duties. It exposes the interns to the organization, its culture and proposed assignments. Further, a healthy working environment would support the interns to develop and achieve learning goals as it provides them with constructive and regular feedback.
Expectations of an internship include getting exposure to a real environment of work provided with the necessary assistance from the company, acquiring the necessary experiences and skills in a particular field of interest and most significantly to build up a circle of professional contacts. On the other hand, internships benefit the employers by reducing the daily workload of regular employees, which would permit the employees to focus more on higher-level tasks.
What is an Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship program trains an apprentice to become skilful in a specific profession or a field. An apprenticeship is usually a combination of both classroom learning and first-hand experiences in a working environment. For instance, technical or technological colleges, community colleges and some employers offer apprenticeship programs.
Unlike interns, an apprenticeship program offers the apprentices a payment apart from the experiences and skills they acquire on on-the-job training. In addition to that, the apprentices also get a proper mentorship with qualified and highly experienced professionals and credentials after completing the training program. Apprenticeships usually fall into the category of full-time work. This is why the apprenticeship is considered a “learn while you earn” model type of training.
Similarities Between Internship and Apprenticeship
- Internship and apprenticeship are two on-the-job training methods
- Both provide the trainees with the chance to acquire the skills and experiences required to become competent in a specific profession or any field of interest.
- They provide the trainee with entry-level experience.
- Both an intern and an apprentice may end up with a full-time offer.
Difference Between Internship and Apprenticeship
Definition
An internship is a training program offered for undergraduates which allows them to acquire specific job-oriented skills and work experience, while an apprenticeship is training during which the trainee is exposed to a set of skills and first-hand training required for a particular occupation or a field.
Purpose
The purpose of an internship is usually to allow the intern to obtain work-related experience, while an apprenticeship always tries to provide the apprentices with proper training.
Allowances
An apprentice is always paid as they are considered full-time workers, whereas the interns are not paid.
Duration of the Training
Generally, an apprenticeship is long-term, and it covers a training period of more than one year, while internships are always short-term, and they usually extend from a few months to one year.
Conclusion
The main difference between internship and apprenticeship is that an internship is a training program that allows the undergraduates to obtain work-related experiences, while an apprenticeship provides the apprentice with proper training. However, both these training programs are significant as they provide the trainee with entry-level job experience.
Reference:
1. “Definition and Benefits of an Internship.” Pomerantz Career Center.
2. “Benefits of Apprenticeships for Employers.” University of West London, 5 Aug. 2019.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Internship” By Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Blue Diamond Gallery
2. “Engineering Apprentices” By moz278 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) via Flickr
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