Abstract

This paper explores the accessibility to internships and undertaken during higher education in Italy and the UK, and how these internships affect graduates’ transitions to work in the UK and Italy, countries in which the incidence of internships during HE study used to be lower compared to other European countries, but has increased over time. Results show that internships both in the UK and Italy have a positive effect on being employed after graduation, and in the UK they also have a positive effect on wages. Comparing graduates’ early career outcomes in two different institutional contexts also highlights the importance of having a clear definition of internships to distinguish them from other types of work experience within and beyond national and institutional boundaries.