Coronavirus impact: Lockdown affects job offers, internships at colleges in Tamil Nadu

Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus, the two-month long summer internships which usually lead to pre-placement offers for students can turn a non-starter this year. As colleges and universities are yet to take a final call on their examination dates, there is huge uncertainty on the joining dates for students who have got placement offers. For third-year BE and B.Tech students, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) mandates summer internship. From the first week of May, the internship is likely to commence. A number of students are yet to get their confirmation letters due to the uncertainty arising from COVID-19. Some of the students are skeptic about getting internships this year.

According to a student from a city college, initially, their college informed that they could go for internship from May 1. Then it was deferred to the second week of May. Now they are confused if they would be able to go for an internship due to the lockdown. Similarly, a third-year student from Anna University informed that a multinational company had confirmed her summer internship, but she was not sure when she could join her internship as her exams had got deferred. According to R M Kishore, vice-chairman of RMK Engineering College, summer internships would have the worst impact on account of the delay in examinations. He informed that companies may not be really enthusiastic to offer internships this year.

Some colleges are searching for varied options of internships too. The coronavirus has badly affected many countries, Italy has been the worst affected.

Read More: