this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2024
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It is completely crazy that businesses mainly do not have strong internship/apprenticeship programs in place. It is hard to predict who is going to be good at tech (or probably most jobs) until given a chance. Some of our most brilliant have been high school dropouts. Even those with credentials and experience will do better with time to learn the company systems and culture. "We need someone who can hit the ground running..." ug, grow up.
Collectivly, we need a major commitment to building the workforce not leeching off of disposable labor.
Couldn't agree more. IMO, the perfect talent is the kind you grow yourself.
No number of interviews or tests will lead you to a magical perfect candidate 100% of the time, but those with less experience are great because they're eager to accept a lower salary and will attack just about any problem you throw at them enthusiastically because every challenge is a new chance to prove their mettle.
Obviously it takes time to build a program where mentorship is valued and more senior folks help to develop newer teammates, but if you want the highest quality talent, it's hard to beat homegrown.
The problem is that there's no incentive for employees to stay beyond a few years. Why spend months or years training someone if they leave after the second year?
But then you have to question why employees aren't loyal any longer, and that's because pensions and benefits have eroded, and your pay doesn't keep up as you stay longer at a company. Why stay at a company for 20, 30, or 40 years when you can come out way ahead financially by hopping jobs every 2-4 years?
An internship isn't a magic bullet that cures all ills but it does improve thing meaningfully in several ways.
To address your point, I agree with you in part but giving people a chance who otherwise would not, does build loyalty making it more likely they will stay longer (on average). You still have to be a good company to have a chance of retaining people, it isn't just a cynical ploy to fool people into working for you. There is a middle ground between your example of 20-40 years vs 2-4 that is very meaningful because it takes a lot more time than people give credit, to get good at a job. So that >2 years time frame is very valuable.
I do think a lot of companies, but crucially not all, effectively treat even highly skilled labor as a disposable asset to leech off of. I also think an employment system that expects career advancement to require changing employers, is crazy shortsighted. Just as is degrading the public education system and putting young people into massive debt with college. The system has problems all over the place but an internship is a very practical way for a company to do better.