The impact of virtual internships on the employability skills of widening participation students

Research by the University of Liverpool highlights the potential of virtual internships to improve confidence, AI literacy, presenting skills and career readiness among widening participation students

As organisations increasingly adopt remote and hybrid ways of working, understanding the effectiveness of virtual internships is becoming more important. This report examines whether a four-week AI and consulting virtual micro-internship improved students' employability skills, and whether outcomes differed across student groups.

Key findings

• The virtual internship delivered stronger and more consistent outcomes for widening participation (WP) students than for their non-WP peers. These findings are drawn from the programme's first year of delivery at the University of Liverpool and should be read in that context.
• The virtual internship achieved strong outcomes overall, with 167 of 267 students completing the programme, a satisfaction rate of 91.5%, and 80.8% of completers receiving a 'very good' or 'excellent' employer evaluation
• All six employability skills measured (confidence, readiness, career expectations, AI literacy, problem solving, and presenting skills) improved, led by confidence (+1.62) and AI literacy (+1.58).
• Six out of eight WP groups exceeded the programme average on employability impact.
• Six out of eight non-WP groups fall below the programme average on employability impact. Of these, four cluster below the programme average on both employability impact and engagement - a pattern that likely reflects the more limited alternative routes into professional experience available to WP students, who may therefore derive greater benefit from a programme of this kind.
• Widening participation students reported stronger skills development than non-WP students across five of the six employability measures assessed.
• Mature students and first-generation university students were the only WP groups to fall below the programme average on both engagement and impact.
• International students reported particularly high levels of engagement and achieved attainment outcomes comparable to home students.
• Based on qualitative data analysis, the most consistent barriers across WP groups were the absence of midpoint feedback, lack of human interaction, and task ambiguity.
• The in-person celebration event was the most valued element of the programme - the point at which the experience felt most tangible - and carried disproportionate career value for students with limited professional networks.

About the report

This Jisc-funded research by the University of Liverpool examines whether virtual internships can help address barriers to professional experience faced by widening participation students.

The study explores how different student groups engaged with and benefited from a four-week AI and consulting virtual micro-internship delivered in partnership with Springpod, Accenture and regional employers.

The researchers provide their recommendations informed by data analysis and student feedback, aiming to advise best practice in the higher education sector for designing and delivering equitable and accessible virtual work-based learning programmes for all student groups.