Summer is here and students have the opportunity to complete an internship as part of their study programme with employers who are happy to get help during the holiday period. ‘The benefits are great for both parties,’ says Katri Jürine, HR Manager of Ericsson Baltic, adding that this is an opportunity for companies to introduce themselves to students as employers and gather new ideas.
‘Through the internship, we map talented people for the future, keeping in mind the next generation of employees at the company,’ explains Jürine. According to her, the number of people wishing to so an internship is constantly growing and the interest in doing something exciting besides relaxing in the summer is great. ‘We are pleased to be able to take interns even in such difficult times, where most of the recruitment, induction, training, and teamwork takes place in virtual environments. The interns can explore our entire production process through a 360-degree interactive virtual environment. We try to be innovative and resourceful at all times!’, she says.
This year, Ericsson has 47 interns in Estonia, 34% of whom are international students. The majority of the interns, i.e. 76%, study at TalTech, followed by 8% at Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, 8% at various foreign universities, 4% at Tallinn University, and 4% at Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences.
‘Our company has people from 50 different nationalities and daily work also takes place in English. This allows us to easily involve foreign student interns in all processes,’ explains the company’s representative. According to her, there is a tendency among international students that they have previously completed an official internship in the study programme, they have also gained work experience, and they are applying for the Ericsson internship primarily to expand their portfolio and gain new experience. ‘We naturally support continuous self-development and try to offer suitable challenges to all interns,’ confirms Katri Jürine.
The share of foreign students among Estonian university students has grown year by year. Last academic year, more than 5,000 foreign students studied at Estonian universities. ‘According to Statistics Estonia, this rising number is due to the fact that the number of Estonian students has decreased by more than 20,000 during the last 12 years. Thus, these vacancies are filled by international students, because despite everything, we lack competent people in certain sectors,’ says Katri Jürine, HR Manager of Ericsson Baltic. ‘While an Estonian student has a social network that helps them find a job more easily during their studies, where they can also do a compulsory internship later, then the international student has to work harder, prove themselves, and seize all opportunities,’ Jürine explains the high level of motivation of foreign people.
‘It is important for the intern to be active and courageous, to establish contacts, and show enthusiasm for learning. We value interns who want to be involved and show interest in different areas and activities of the company. I definitely recommend staying true to yourself and showing your different sides with confidence when applying and working, because the ideas and suggestions of a newcomer are valuable. We are open and inclusive, because it also benefits the company, enriches our culture, and paves the way to new solutions,’ says Katri Jürine.
‘In an aging society, we need to empower all people who contribute to society through the labour market and the expansion of their portfolio. Taking on international students as interns is one solution for sustainable activities, as there are simply not enough local students for all companies and the difference enriches us. In any case, the interns bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to the organisation,’ concludes Katri Jürine, HR Manager of Ericsson Baltic.