Internship Opportunities and Experiential Learning in Higher Education, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Information Integration

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P. D. E. A’s

Prof. Ramkrishna More Arts, Commerce and Science

College Akurdi Pune-

Affiliated to

Savitribai Phule Pune University

[SPPU]

NEP-2020 Implementation

Choice Based Credit System [CBCS]

Under

Autonomy

Guideline for

On Job Training

and

Internship Policy

According to

Higher and Technical Education

Department Government of Maharashtra

From Academic Year

2023-

Applicable to

UG and PG under Autonomy and NEP-

1. Introduction: All the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are mandated to enable all the eligible students to take an active part in the Internship selection process. The Internship Cell constituted at the HEIs will extend all the possible support to the students. It will help in achieving the best-paid internship results in the given condition through the assistance and full cooperation of all the students, alumni, and recruiting organizations, making the HEI their most favored destination. The internship policy detailed hereunder will apply to academic session 2023-2024 onwards. 1.1. Background: The National Education Policy (NEP)1, 2020 suggests that students must actively engage with the practical side of their learning as part of a holistic education to further improve their employability. It states that students at all HEIs will be provided with opportunities for internships with local industry and businesses as well as research internships with faculty and researchers at their own or other HEIs/research institutions. University Grants Commission (UGC) released National Credit Framework (NCrF) in April 2023. It underscores the significance of experiential learning as part of the curricular structure through internships, on-the-job training, industrial projects, etc. The focus is further streamlined through the Guidelines for Internship/Research Internship released later in October

In line with the NEP and tracing the provisions of NcrF, Government of Maharashtra 

has subsequently released two Government Resolutions (GRs)3 to reinforce NEP implementation and credit revision across Maharashtra HEIs. These GRs lay out detailed guidelines for curriculum interventions for Four Year UG Engineering and other UG AICTE courses, B.A./ B.Sc./ B.Com. (and all Non-AICTE UG courses), and M.A./ M.Sc./ M.Com. (and all PG courses). To foster holistic education, which encompasses hands-on experience, the focus of Government now turns towards strengthening the internship ecosystem through a formalized Internship Policy. This strategic move comes as a response to the NEP's call for students to engage with practical learning through internships and apprenticeships, a practice proven to enhance employability and refine skill sets. 1.2. Objective and Vision : Internships serve as pivotal educational and career development opportunities, offering handson experience in specific fields or disciplines. They are structured, short-term, supervised Internships often centered around particular tasks or projects with predefined timeframes. An internship may be compensated, partially compensated, or unpaid; however, it must be meaningful and beneficial to both the intern and the hosting organization. Following are the objectives of the Internships envisaged for the students enrolled in State HEIs: • Exposing students to industrial environments that cannot be replicated in a classroom.

• Providing opportunities to acquire and refine analytical and managerial skills crucial for a professional career. • Offering hands-on experience in teamwork, thereby enhancing professional skills like communication, work ethics, conflict resolution, etc., with a lasting impact on lifelong learning and professional development. • Establishing links between students and potential future job or research opportunities. 1.3. Types of Internships: Internships are an integral part of the academic curricula. Satisfactory completion of an internship is a mandatory requirement for the degree to be awarded by the HEI. Furthermore, considering the curriculum structure approved by the HEI, multiple modes of internships are possible and are assigned academic credits within the curricula. The general idea is to enable students to undertake immersive assignments within the organizations for a limited period.

The following is a brief overview of credit requirements in line with GoM GRs, UGC, and AICTE4:  12 credits of Internship activities may be accounted for UG Engineering (AICTE) courses.  12-14 credits of Internship activities may be accounted for B.A., B.Sc., B.Com. and all Non-AICTE professional UG degree courses.  10-12 credits of Internship activities may be accounted for M.A., M.Sc., M.Com. and all professional PG degree courses. It must be noted that 1 credit is equivalent to minimum 30 hours of work. An intern is expected to spend 30 hours per week on Internship and related activities. Furthermore, Internships may be done through offline / online mode. However, indicative requirement regarding Internship duration and credits for Four Year UG Engineering and other UG AICTE courses is as follows:

For B.A., B.Sc., B.Com. and all Non-AICTE professional UG degree courses, the indicative requirement regarding Internship duration and credits is as follows:

• Internship/Apprenticeship: 8 Credits + Field Projects/Community Engagement: 4-6 Credits For M.A., M.Sc., M.Com. and all professional PG degree courses, the indicative requirement regarding Internship duration and credits is as follows:

During the internship registration, the students are to notify their preference on whether they are seeking academic or industrial internships.

2. Internship Cell

2 .1. Governance Structure: For every HEI, the Internship Cell shall be led by Internship Governing Council comprising of Vice Chancellor/Dean/Principal, Nodal Officer/TPO, and Assistant Coordinator(s). The Cell will further have Department-level Faculty Coordinators. Additionally, Student Coordinators shall be appointed from each Department by the nominated Faculty for efficient outreach to students. The following chart illustrates the Governance structure envisaged for the Cell:

It must be noted that: • The Nodal Officer/TPO and Assistant Coordinators shall be appointed by the Vice Chancellor/Dean/Principal. • Each HEI Campus will have an Assistant Coordinator reporting to Nodal Officer. • The Nodal Officer shall report the progress and details of internships in each academic year to Vice Chancellor/Dean/Principal.

2.2. Duties and Responsibilities: The Internship Cell shall be responsible for the proper functioning of the Internship processes at the HEI. The overall role of the Cell is of a facilitator and counselor for Internship related activities. The brief activities of the Cell would include: • The Cell shall work to identify projects linked to the local industry needs and create a pool available. • The Cell is responsible to conceptualize a digital portal where they can register experts, industries, organizations, mentors, faculty members which are visible to students.

Internship Cell shall maintain a uniform record-keeping mechanism. It shall also ensure that the evaluation rubrics are implemented as per the mandate of NEP, 2020, GRs released by Government of Maharashtra, and National Credit Framework by UGC. • The cell shall streamline internship selection process including, but not limited to Resume Screening, PPTs, Tests, GDs, Interviews, etc. • The Cell shall map students to student coordinators from the department. They are first point of contact in the Cell and would help throughout the process – answering all queries and managing the whole process. • The Student Coordinators in consultation with the department/school-level faculty shall carry out the task of resume verification at the start of the academic session. • Internship Cell shall make a sincere effort every year to bring in new companies in upcoming sectors to ensure better and more diverse opportunities for students., the Cell shall make their best efforts in reaching out to the organizations preferred by students. • The Cell shall work towards connecting with the organization and signing MOUs with them on the behalf of HEI to establish long-term collaboration for providing internship. • The Cell shall organize preparatory events throughout the year. Information regarding the sessions will be provided to the students via mail and other

mediums. The Cell shall collate and share reference books, sample questions, mock test papers among students. • The Cell shall facilitate the onboarding of students for Internships, through online or offline medium, in line with Organization’s requirements. • The Cell shall ensure protection of students in case of any offenses by the organizations. The Nodal Officer/TPO shall be the final arbiter on such matters.

Additional functions of the Internship Cell include arranging experts for student’s personality development, improve communication skills, vocabulary, prepare students for resume preparation & email writing, group discussion, interview skills, aptitude training & practice tests, technical report writing, presentation skills, foreign languages proficiency etc.

The department-level Faculty Coordinators and student coordinators shall act as facilitators between HEI, recruiters and students. The team will be responsible for managing databases, facilitating and overseeing outreach, addressing Internship-related Q&As, understanding and reporting student preferences, and resolving queries with respect to the internships.

Additionally, a Mentor shall be identified by the Internship Cell or by each students through their network. The role of a Mentor shall be to provide professional/research guidance to the student during the internship. They shall also facilitate networking with other subject matter experts/professionals, which will enhance the internship experience and learning of the students.

The department-level Faculty Coordinator and Mentors will be nominated at the start of the academic year for each department. Student Coordinators will be elected by the students through the process laid down by the Nodal Officer/TPO. These Student Coordinators, upon satisfactory performance and contribution, shall be promoted to being Student Placement Coordinators in their later years of study.

2.3. Organization Outreach: The Cell, through the powers vested by Nodal Officer/TPO, shall reach out to the prospective companies in a formal and professional manner. The primary outreach shall be inclusive of following processes: • Development of Internship Brochure – soft copy as well as hard copy. • Preparing list of potential recruiters and past recruiters • Preferences mentioned by students in their Internship Undertaking

On these lines, the HEI is mandated to create Industry / academic linkages with organizations and institutions for establishing long-term partnership in recruiting interns. These linkages are to be made accessible on the University portal. The HEI shall further enable these potential recruiters to register on public platforms like AICTE for better visibility of opportunities across Maharashtra.

2.4. Data Management : The Cell shall maintain a uniform database for Internships at department-level and HEI level. The Cell shall have a restricted access to the database. It shall have detailed profiles of students, their contact details, prior education & experience, academic credentials, location / sectoral preferences, and internship status (companies shortlisted, awaiting response, internship offer, etc.). This database shall have a common skeletal framework and it shall be archived every academic year. Additionally, the data pertaining to Organization profiles shall be revised and updated with organization POCs and their coordinates.

3. Internship Guidelines for Students

3.1. Eligibility and Timeline All the bonafide students enrolled in the HEI are eligible for internships, provided they have two or fewer backlogs at the start of the odd semester of the academic year. The HEI shall, at the start of each academic year, specify the timelines pertaining to undertakings, resume submission deadlines, resume proof-checking and verification, organizing outreach, and selection process.

3.2. Internship Application

 The Internship Cell shall proactively inform the students when internship opportunities are floated along with the nature of internship, compensation structure, work mode/location, etc.  Interested students shall give their names to the department coordinators, who shall pass them on to the Assistant Coordinator with their resume.  Once the resumes are submitted to the organizations, the selection process shall start. The Cell will assist companies in scheduling pre-placement talks, tests, GDs, Interviews.  Students are to strictly adhere to the schedule such events

3.3. Code of Conduct

 Each student is eligible to accept at most one Internship offer through the process. They would be deregistered from the process after receiving the offer.  Any off-campus opportunities given to the students must be reported to the HEI for subsequent procedures of relieving to take place in time.  Students are required to dress in formal clothing and footwear with a presentable persona throughout the selection process. Casual clothing will not be allowed during any part of the whole process.  If any student has any grievances with respect to termination and/or any penal action ordered by concerned HOD, then such student can submit his appeal in writing to the Nodal Officer/TPO, who shall be the final arbitrator on such matters.  After performing exceedingly well in the Internship, the student may be provided with a Pre-placement Offer (PPO). It needs to be accepted/rejected by the student within the deadline as set forth by the organization. A student who accepts the PPO will be considered “placed” and de-registered from the Placement process. If a student rejects a PPO, they can appear for further placements with the cell without any restrictions.

3.4. Internship Evaluation After completion of Internship, students are to prepare a comprehensive report highlighting their learnings and takeaways during the internship period. The report shall be signed by the Internship Supervisor, Nodal Officer/TPO and Faculty Mentor. The students are mandated to give a seminar based on the internship undertaken before an expert committee constituted by the concerned department, as per Performa for Evaluation of Internship (Appendix IX). The internship shall be evaluated on the basis of performance, as reflected in the student log (Appendix V), Attendance record (Appendix VI), supervisor evaluation form (Appendix VII). The assessment of internship will be based on the following criteria:  Quality and effectiveness of presentation  Depth of knowledge and demonstrated skills

 Variety and relevance of learning experience

 Practical applications and relationships with concepts taught in the course

 Internship Report

Seminar presentation will enable sharing knowledge & experience amongst students & teachers and build communication skills and confidence in students. The weightage given to the Internship evaluation shall be as per the discretion of the concerned HODs and Nodal Officer/TPO. The credits will be allocated on the basis of overall grade (above Pass) received by the students during the assessment.

4. Appendix

4.1. Appendix I:

Internship Undertaking

1. Student Name:
2. Current Address
3. Residence Address
4. Email id
5. Mobile Nos.
6. Aadhar
7. PAN
8. Overall GPA
9. Mode of Internship
10. Internship Preferences

Location Core Area Organization / Institute

Preference- 1

Preference- 2

Preference- 3

confirm that I agree with the terms, conditions, and requirements of the Internship Policy Student Signature: Date: __________

I confirm that the student has attended the internship orientation and has met all paperwork and process requirements to participate in the internship program, and has received approval from his/her mentor.

Sign of Department Faculty Coordinator:

Date :

4.2. Appendix II:

Draft Resume Template

Name:

Contact Number and Email ID:

Education:

HEI Name Year

Degree / Specialization:

CGPA:

HEI Name: <bachelor’s degree> Year

Degree / Specialization:

CGPA:

Internship / Work Experience

Organization Year

Project:

Brief:

Academic Experience

Semester Year

Project:

Brief:

 Emphasize accomplishments that are relevant to the field  Be specific—omit unnecessary words and sentences  Start your sentence with an action verb, not a passive one Use past-tense verbs to show what you have accomplished Quantify results as much as possible  Use key words that will catch a recruiter’s eye

Other Achievements and Personal Interests

 List other achievements also in reverse chronological order  Leadership positions held outside of your formal work environment  Personal interests and accomplishments that will distinguish you from other applicants  Volunteer service/Social Work

4.3. Appendix III:

Organization Outreach Letter

To, The (Manager, HR) ..............................................................................

Subject: Request for_____ weeks internship of Students pursuing < >

Dear Sir,

The HEI established in , , Maharashtra reflects the vision of leading

industrialists and educationalists. Institute is accredited with ‘< >’ grade by NAAC in March

2015. The HEI has been recognized about it’s over all academic excellence and infrastructure.

In view of the above, I request your good self to allow our following (no. of students) students

for practical raining in your esteemed organization. Kindly accord your permission and give at

least one-week time for students to join training after confirmation.

No. Name Roll no. Year Department

The resumes of these students are attached with this letter. If vacancies exist, kindly do

plan for Interviews for the students in above branches.

A line of confirmation will be highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Nodal Officer/TPO

4 .4. Appendix IV:

Relieving Letter of Student

To,

The General Manager (HR)

.....................................

Subject : Relieving letter of student

Dear Sir,

Kindly refer your letter/e-mail dated................ on the above cited subject. As permitted by your good self the following students will undergo Industrial Internship in your esteemed organization under your sole guidance and direction

No. Name Roll no. Year Department

This training being an essential part of the curriculum, the following guidelines have been prescribed in the curriculum for the training. You are therefore, requested to please issue following guidelines to the concerned student mentor.

 Internship schedule may be prepared and a copy of the same may be sent to us.  Each student is required to prepare Internship diary and report.  Kindly check the Internship diary of the student daily.  Issue instruction regarding working hours during training and maintenance of the attendance record

You are requested to evaluate the student’s performance on the basis of grading i.e. Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory and Non-Satisfactory on the below mentioned factors:

 Attendance and general behavior  Relation with workers and supervisors  Initiative and efforts in learning  Knowledge and skills improvement  Contribution to the organization The performance report may please be forwarded to the undersigned on completion of training in sealed envelope.

Your efforts in this regard will positively enhance knowledge and practical skills of the students, your cooperation will be highly appreciated, and we shall feel obliged.

The students will abide by the rules and regulation of the organization and will maintain a proper discipline with keen interest during their internship. The students will report to you on dated.................... along with a copy of this letter.

Yours sincerely, Nodal Officer/TPO

4.5. Appendix V:

Student Diary (Log) Recording Format

Week (^) FromDate - to Task Assigned (^) PerformedActivities Learnings^ Key^ Additional Remarks 1 2 3 4 5 6

Signature of Industry Supervisor

4.6. Appendix VI:

Attendance Sheet

< Organization Letter Head>

Name & Address of Organization

---

---

---

Name of the Student

Roll Number

Name of Course

Date of Commencement of Training

Date of Completion of Training

Week Mon Thu Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6

 Attendance Sheet should remain affixed in Daily Training Diary. Do not remove or tear it off.  Holidays should be marked in Red Ink in attendance column. Absent should be marked as ‘A’ in Red Ink.

Name and Signature with date of Internship Supervisor : ________________________

4.7. Appendix VII:

Supervisor or Evaluation of Intern

Student Name: _________________________________ Date: ___________________

Work Supervisor: _______________________________Title: ___________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________

Internship Address: _____________________________________________________

Dates of Internship: From _________________________ To ____________________

Please evaluate intern by indicating the frequency with which you observed the following behaviours:

Parameters Needs Improvement

Satisf- actory

Good Excellent

Behaviors Performs in a dependable manner Cooperates with co-workers and supervisors Shows interest in work Learns quickly Shows initiative Produces high quality work Accepts responsibility Accepts criticism Demonstrates organizational skills Uses technical knowledge and expertise Shows good judgment Demonstrates creativity/originality Analyzes problems effectively Is self-reliant Communicates well Writes effectively Has a professional attitude Gives a professional appearance Is punctual Uses time effectively Overall performance of student intern (circle one): (Needs improvement / Satisfactory / Good / Excellent) Additional comments, if any: Signature of Industry supervisor________________________

HR Manager _______________________________________

4.8. Appendix VIII:

Student Feedback of Internship

(To be filled by Students after Internship completion)

Student Name: ________________________________ Date:___________________

Industrial Supervisor: ____________________________Title: ____________________

Supervisor Email: _________________ Internship is: ______Paid_____Unpaid_______

Organization:__________________________________________________________

Internship Address:____________________________________________________________

Faculty Coordinator: ___________________________Department: ________________

Dates of Internship: From ___________________ To __________________________

Give a brief description of your internship work (title and tasks for which you were responsible):

Was your internship experience related to your major area of study?

 Yes, to a large degree  Yes, to a slight degree  No, not related at all Indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. Experience has: Strongly Agree

Agree No opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Given me the opportunity to explore a career field Allowed me to apply classroom theory to practice Helped me develop my decision-making and problem-solving skills Expanded my knowledge about the work world prior to permanent employment Helped me develop my written and oral communication skills Provided a chance to use leadership skills (influence others, develop ideas with others, stimulate decision-making and action) Expanded my sensitivity to the ethical implications of the work involved Made it possible for me to be more confident in new situations Given me a chance to improve my interpersonal skills Helped me learn to handle responsibility and use my time wisely Helped me discover new aspects of myself that I didn’t know existed before Helped me develop new interests and abilities Helped me clarify my career goals

Provided me with contacts which may lead to future employment Allowed me to acquire information and/ or use equipment not available at my Institute

 In the Institute internship program, faculty members are expected to be mentors for students. Do you feel that your faculty coordinator served such a function? Why or why not?

 How well were you able to accomplish the initial goals, tasks and new skills that were set down in your learning contract? In what ways were you able to take a new direction or expand beyond your contract? Why were some goals not accomplished adequately?

 What areas did you most develop and improve?

 What has been the most significant accomplishment or satisfying moment of your internship?

 What did you dislike about the internship?

 Considering your overall experience, how would you rate this internship? (Circle one). Satisfactory/ Good/ Excellent

 Give suggestions as to how your internship experience could have been improved. (Could you have handled added responsibility? Would you have liked more discussions with your professor concerning your internship? Was closer supervision needed? Was more of an orientation required?)

<Name, Roll number, Date>

4.9. Appendix IX:

Performa for Evaluation of Internship by Institute

**1. Name of Student _____________________________________________________

2. Mob. No.___________________________________________________________
3. Roll No. ____________________________________________________________
4. Branch/Semester_____________________________________________________
5. Period of Training_____________________________________________________
6. Home Address with contact No.__________________________________________
7. Address of Training Site: _______________________________________________
8. Address of Training Providing Agency:____________________________________
9. Name/Designation of Training In- charge __________________________________
10. Type of Work_______________________________________________________
11. Date of Evaluation ___________________________________________________
12. Please rate the following:**

S.no. Particular Grade 1 Quality and effectiveness of presentation 2 Depth of knowledge and demonstrated skills 3 Variety and relevance of learning experience 4 Practical applications and relationships with concepts taught 5 Internship Report 6 Attendance record, student log, supervisor evaluation

Overall grade: ___________________________________________________

Additional Remarks:

Signature of Faculty Mentor