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Internships Are More Valued in Europe than America—Here’s Why

Internships are very different in North America and Western Europe, and this explains why they are a lot more popular among young Europeans…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Nov 21 2023
North America, Western Europe

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The legal framework around internships is more protective in Western Europe than it is in North America
Three in five Europeans would rather do internships / apprenticeships than go to university, while young North Americans are evenly split
In turn, more European Gen Z and Millennials are doing internships than in North America—and recommending the experience to others

According to YPulse’s recent Gen Z in Their Job Era trend report, a majority of Gen Z and Millennials in both North America and Western Europe consider their career to be the main focus in their life, or think it will be in the future. So, these gens in both regions invest a lot of time and energy to prepare for their career. But when it comes to getting internships, young Europeans are more likely to take this path, while North Americans are stacking up the common app with extracurriculars through school. This is likely due to the fact that...