Meaningful internships a way to attract the right talent

DOING an internship for some months will be useful for young people in deciding their career path, especially if they are considering the food and beverage (F&B) and tourism sectors, says Janet Tan-Collis, chief executive of East West Planners who has been in the meetings and incentives industry for over 35 years.

Companies, on their part, should try to give interns as much exposure to the business as possible, she suggests. This will create a win-win situation for both as the youth will be able to make better informed decisions about their career and the companies will be able to attract the right kind of talent.

In fact Mrs Tan-Collis goes a step further by suggesting that to incentivise the interns, those doing six months or more be awarded points to be able to go to university. She made these points during a panel discussion at the Singapore Management University (SMU) on the release of the CSISG report on Nov 25.