When new students arrive at our school in the fall, many students have the idea of going on an internship abroad. Perhaps their own experiences from traveling abroad with the family have left good memories and given the inspiration of going abroad for a longer period. The internationalization of Finnish students is also the will of the decision-makers. The goal of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s program is to double the international mobility of Finnish students by 2030. At Mercuria, every student has the opportunity to internationalize. Every year, dozens of students go abroad for their internships or trips that are part of our international projects.
Although the idea of going to work abroad may seem exciting to many young people, internships often have significant advantages that can positively affect the student’s future career or personal growth. In a global world, knowing different cultures and working in different environment is very important. For young students, internships abroad offer their first experiences with independence and managing on their own. Adapting to a new culture and environment and overcoming challenges can promote a young person’s self-knowledge and growth as a person.
Why should you go abroad for an internship?
There are many good reasons for going abroad. In addition to knowing cultures, language skills, problem-solving skills, professional competence and understanding of different operating environments are accumulated abroad. In addition, you usually make new friends from abroad, with whom you can network and keep in touch later. Through new contacts, you may get interesting career opportunities or inspiration to go abroad after graduation.
Of course, the students who live abroad for a longer period will certainly encounter challenging situations. The feeling of loneliness, strange habits and frustration with the language is certainly felt by everyone at some point. However, these challenges help students develop their problem-solving skills and patience with new things. And when you notice that you can cope with challenging situations by yourself, it brings self-confidence to become independent.
At Mercuria, everyone is encouraged to internationalize
One of the key points of Mercuria’s new strategy is internationality. We encourage and support everyone to internationalize in a way that suits them. We have several partners in Spain, Malta and other European countries that offer internships for students. Students with a vocational qualification in business are often employed in shops or hotels, but other office work is also available. Mercuria provides financial support to all those who go abroad for internships and help with, for example, to find an apartment. In Mercuria, internationalization is therefore truly possible for everyone. If going abroad to work for several months seems too exciting, it is possible to participate in various international projects, where shorter visits to the target countries are made together with the teacher and group of students. One option is to host foreign students who come to Finland and thus make new friends from abroad. The main thing is that everyone gets to know other cultures and joins our international activities. Challenging yourself shows great courage, and you can do that in Mercuria – at your convenience!
