“The core focus of the programme is to provide students with practical skills, build global networks, work in teams to solve real-life problems, understand how companies work, and receive valuable mentorship through collaboration with industry leaders and mentors. With project-based work, they will be able to create actual impact through the partner companies – which will ensure they stand out in applications to universities around the world,” says Rebecca Pretorius, country manager at Crimson Education.
The Crimson Careers Internship Programme is open to students aged 14 to 19 years old. Each programme runs for a month, and is designed to run as an extracurricular alongside full-time school. Learning and work experience sessions take place on the weekend, with students connecting with their teams during the week.
“Through internships, high school students can explore various careers and areas of interest to determine which career path they want to pursue in the future. For those who have already settled on a career path, choosing an internship relevant to that field of study provides an opportunity to build expertise in the subject area and test their aptitude. This demonstrates commitment and depth of knowledge, which is an important factor when it comes to applying at universities abroad,” says Pretorius.
Those who complete the internship programme will receive a letter of reference from the partner company; connections to international peers, business mentors and industry professionals as well as practical skills to gain a head-start on their work experience and career progression.
“Local students are more than capable of succeeding at an international level – all they need is access to the right opportunities. Typically, these firms do not employ high school pupils as interns because they are some of the most competitive companies in the world, but the rise of virtual internships has made it possible for South Africans to learn from the best – as well receive work experience and career discovery – without needing to travel across the globe,” says Pretorius.
Applicants will be charged a fee by Crimson Education to set up the internships. Included in these costs are the programme running fees and the supply of business mentors from top Fortune 500 companies. In addition, students will be expected to attend learning sessions and complete the course content.
For more information, visit www.crimsoneducation.org/za.
