UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS AND STUDENTS’ LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between internship completion and labor market outcomes for university students in Singapore. Using data from the 2018-2020 Graduate Employment Survey and NUS administrative records, I derive three main findings. First, students who complete more internships are also more likely to work in full-time employment, have higher gross wages, and receive more full-time permanent job offers on average. Second, students who complete more internships also tend to spend a longer time searching before accepting their first full-time permanent job, as they also tend to start searching earlier. Lastly, correlations between internships completed and labor market outcomes are heterogeneous across faculties. It is most strongly correlated with higher earnings and receiving more job offers for students from the School of Computing, while it is most strongly correlated with being in full-time permanent employment for students from the Faculty of Science.