Next-Gen Forum

26 / Next-GeN Forum

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Internships and work placements get a mixed review: opportunity, exploitation, nepotism or a great leg up. We ask our Next-Gen Forum for their views and experience

The next generation of onboard hospitality decision-makers needs to be heard, so we're here to give them a voice!

Onboard Hospitality has created the Next-Gen Forum, a panel of young professionals making their mark on the inflight services industry. They bring fresh perspectives and new ideas on hot topics and we will feature them in each issue of Onboard Hospitality and online. With the importance of recruitment at the forefront of discussions, this issue we ask...

Does our iNDustry make the most oF iNterNships aND work experieNce schemes? what value Do they briNG to employees aND busiNesses?

Helen Jones

Product development manager for Niche Free From Kitchen I think there is always space to improve internships and work experience schemes. Having fresh new insights into existing systems can be a helpful disruption. I think companies need to make the airline and travel industry appealing to new talent with benefits and clear career progression, especially during a very unstable future for the travel market.

I got my first job in London as a chef through a mandatory six-month work placement which was a part of the degree course I was studying. When I then wanted to transfer into the Product Development sector, I secured a paid internship with a great company which then led to a full-time position. Both of these opportunities allowed me access to industries I had relevant

skills for, but no ‘on paper’ experience. I worked extremely hard to prove I had the skills and to be kept on full-time but also learnt so much about the industry at the same time.

Alexandra Allen

Design manager at John Horsfall I started my professional career with a year in industry as part of my degree, but within the clothing industry. It was a few years later that I started working within airline textiles. Although I cannot comment on aviation internship schemes specifically, I can honestly say in my personal experience it was probably the most useful element of my degree.

My internship was organised through my university, which brought awareness of companies and roles I hadn’t even been contemplated previously. A well-advertised internship scheme would similarly raise awareness of the potential of the sector for great roles.

Time spent in real-life industry, tackling day-to-day challenges was how I learnt the majority of my important skills, and better yet, perfected them. On the other side of the coin, businesses can potentially receive a fresh approach and different viewpoint from someone completely new to the business, posing questions that may not have been addressed in a long while.

No matter the sector, I would recommend industry experience wherever possible to anyone starting off in their career.

Bernd Koperdraad

Export manager, Sola The Netherlands Even though I have not worked in this industry for too long, I don’t really get the feeling that it is making the most of internships.There seems to be a gap in this market because if you look at the vacancies open in our industry, there are almost zero offering internship.

These schemes really can bring some great value long-term. They give both sides the chance to see if the role and person are well matched. If an internship works well and the person brings value to the team, employing them on a contract will be less of a risk. The business will have already invested

Having fresh new insights into existing systems can be a helpful disruption

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time and training on this person so they will skip the whole process of learning the ropes anew.

Anne Charlotte Moreel

Lead designer, Clip Limited Internships are important to promote the aviation industry. I myself discovered this universe during an internship at Clip, as an industrial designer, and now it's my turn to introduce this sector to other young designers.

Internships allow students or young graduates to start in the world of work, they learn a lot with us about the design process, materials and techniques, and it is really beneficial for their future.

For the company, these interns are a wave of freshness. They come with new ideas, they are very creative, and don't yet know the 'constraints' associated with aviation standards. They may come up with new ideas that are not feasible at the time, but which, with a little work and restructuring, make it possible to create innovative and never-beforeseen products. It is through these ideas that the aviation industry will evolve.

April Waterston

Assistant Editor, Onboard Hospitality Magazine I have heard of some negative experiences around placements and internships. They can be hard to secure unless you know the right people, or not really provide any proper training or insights. I wanted to get good value from my experience, and didn't just want to feel I was a dog's body and unappreciated. Mine was organised through my university and gave me an invaluable experience, increasing my employability and broadening my horizons, which in turn encouraged me to think about wider career options. I think the set up and structure of a placement is key. My university had forged great relationships with companies, both within the UK and internationally, to help place students and I think this is when placements work best. Internships really are a two-way street.

Does your business offer internships? Get in touch for our forthcoming feature on this topic and share the value and guidance you can provide new starters.

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are you (relatively!) New to the iNDustry?

Have your say by joining the Next-Gen Forum. Contact april. waterston@onboardhospitality.com