Mobile moratorium? The case of young people undertaking international internships

Abstract

This article explores a significant yet curiously understudied form of transnational mobility as practiced among the highly qualified in Europe, namely the international internship. We argue that an international internship can be an ambivalent stage within youth transitions. While possibly providing a potential point of entry into a 'dream' career path, the economic and emotional costs of such undertakings also need to be accounted for, including an offsetting of professional stability and deferred rather than accelerated labour market entry. At the same time, international internships have the appearance of a response to a need for personal development and exploration. Taking on board these perspectives, we suggest that the international internship be considered a form of 'mobile moratorium,' expanding on the possibilities associated with this conceptualisation. For young people in the European Union, this form of exchange also provides a means to engage in intra-European circulation while simultaneously pursuing personalized success. We investigate this proposition through analysis of data collected via an online survey, providing illustrations of what the international internship experience means for professional development and personal exploration.

The Experience of International Students: Biographical Narratives and Identities

“…Consequently, the liminal state of studying abroad can be reconceptualized as either "liminoid" or "limbic." And this ritual interpretation is consistent with young people's endlessly prolonged mobile trajectories, at times leading nowhere from an economic and socio-demographic viewpoint (Cuzzocrea and Cairns 2020).…”

“…I believe it can be more easily adapted by other researchers engaged in the field of international student mobility, studying abroad, or youth studies in general. From a conceptual perspective, and especially in interpreting the studying abroad experience within the lifecycle framework, this study has most affinities with those of Cuzzocrea and Cairns (2020) and Cuzzocrea and Krzaklewska (2022): I have discussed this article with these authors and I thank them in the Acknowledgments. Regarding the autoethnographic-autobiographic method, in most existing literature this tends to be the researcher's personal account of the experience of living and working in contexts other than the country of origin (Daskalaki 2012;Daskalaki et al 2016).…”

The Role of International Internships in the Vocational Education of Technical Secondary School Students

“…Realizując część praktyki zawodowej w instytucjach zagranicznych uczniowie poszerzają nie tylko umiejętności nabyte w trakcie zajęć szkolnych, ale również rozwijają swoje umiejętności językowe oraz społeczne (Malerich, 2009). Realizacja praktyki w przedsiębiorstwach w krajach Unii Europejskiej wymusza na jego uczestnikach internships offered by companies and enterprises operating in various EU member states, students practice communication skills using the English language and adapt to the rules of conduct pursued by economic operators from abroad (Cuzzocrea, Cairns, 2020). Otherwise the students would not have the chance to practice these skills while attending internships in their home country.…”

Los programas de movilidad estudiantil en la Educación Superior: el caso de una universidad española

“…Por lo que, como en todo proceso, las políticas europeas y de la UA requieren de revisiones, nuevos enfoques y mejoras. Por ejemplo en las cuantías de las becas, dado que son también un activo determinante a la hora de seleccionar el programa (Nicholls, 2018) y un factor discriminante para acceder a la movilidad (Cuzzocrea & Cairns, 2020). Así, resulta necesario adecuar las cantidades para favorecer que todo el alumnado, y no solo las familias con más recursos, puedan acceder a estas.…”

“…Todos ellos esenciales a la hora de seleccionar el destino como si de un viaje turístico se tratara. Así, las universidades son vendidas como una marca que debe estar presente en RRSS y promocionarse como un destino de ocio y diversión para el alumnado extranjero (Nicholls, 2018;Cuzzocrea & Cairns, 2020). Aunque esto no quita la necesidad de visibilizar las oportunidades de movilidad (Ramos, Sánchez, Saucedo, & Cortés, 2021) que las universidades ofrecen a su alumnado con portales web que ofrezcan información práctica (Eurydice, 2017; European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2020).…”