Outside the Classroom: An Evaluation of Equine Internships.

The research article investigates student perspectives on the value of equine internships, highlighting the importance of compensation, skill development, networking, and job opportunities. The research concludes that most students perceive these internships as valuable and beneficial to their career development.

Methodology

• The research was conducted using an online survey which presented questions on participants’ perceived value of their internship.
• Out of the 228 responses received, 186 met the defined inclusion criteria and were consequently included in the study.
• The data gathered was scrutinized using various statistical methods such as frequency counts, correlations, and chi-square measures of association.

Findings

• The most common type of internship undertaken was in breeding, followed by western training and performance.
• More than half of the respondents reported that undertaking an internship was a requirement of their undergraduate degree, yet this factor had no impact on the perceived value of the internship.
• Internships that offered housing or compensation were perceived to hold higher value, with the highest value perceived when both housing and compensation were included.
• Most interns felt that their internship experiences enriched their classroom studies and a majority felt academically prepared for their internships.
• At the completion of their internships, they reported skill development in areas such as equine-related skills, administrative skills, customer relations, business management, and soft skills.
• Approximately two-thirds of the respondents continue to use the skills acquired during their internships in their current jobs, and a majority were able to build a network within the equine industry through their internships.
• Half of the internships led to job offers, either from the company where the internship took place or in the students’ area of interest.

Conclusion

• Based on the survey responses, a large majority of interns considered their internships valuable and would recommend the experience to others. The perceived value positively correlated with networking, gaining equine skills, and receiving job offers.
• In conclusion, this study shows that equine internships are indeed beneficial, providing a pathway for real-life practice, skill development, networking, and job opportunities for students.