Internship Experience Implies Higher Retention

August 9, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2005 Experiential Education Survey found nearly 80% of employers reported higher retention among college hires with internship/co-op experience than among those without such experience.

According to an NACE press release, this was true even if the internship experience was with another company. Almost the same amount (76%) of employers said they see higher retention among college hires who came from their own internship or co-op program.

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“This is a clear indication that hiring students with internship or co-op experience can increase the efficiency of the organization and positively affect the ‘bottom line’ by lowering costs associated with turnover,” Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, said in the release.

The NACE survey was sent to 1,070 of its employer members and 240 employers responded. Responding employers reported that 61.9% of their 2004 college hires had internship experience, and 32.3% had co-op experience.

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