With a second pandemic summer quickly approaching, college students aren’t too concerned about the risks of interning in person before receiving a vaccine. But students do understand that employers who want to offer a summer internship in person may have to switch to remote work.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates finds that almost half (48%) of students who hope to intern this summer say they would feel very safe participating in an internship program in person if COVID-19 precautions were taken. Another 42% would feel somewhat safe, 7% would feel not too safe, and 3% would feel not at all safe.
However, students of color are less likely than white students to say they would feel very safe. Nearly 6 in 10 (58%) white students would feel very safe, compared to fewer Black (39%), Hispanic/Latino (37%), and Asian students (29%).
Despite some safety concerns, just 1 in 5 (20%) students who hope to intern this summer would prefer to work remotely. About 4 in 10 (42%) would prefer a mix of remote and in person or to be completely in person (38%). Black students (60%) in particular would prefer a hybrid of in person and remote work over the summer.
6 in 10 Black Students Prefer a Hybrid Schedule
If you got to choose, would you prefer to have a summer internship this year that’s:
An overwhelming majority (85%) of students who want to intern at least partially in person say wearing a mask would help them feel comfortable going into an office. By comparison, roughly 6 in 10 say the same of placing desks six feet apart (64%) and limiting capacity in the building (63%). While almost 6 in 10 (59%) students who want to intern this summer say getting vaccinated would help them feel comfortable working in an office, a majority (54%) believe they’re not too likely or not at all likely to be vaccinated by June. Just 2% are already vaccinated, and 11% believe they’re very likely to receive the vaccine by then.
Few Students Think They’re Very Likely to be Vaccinated by June
How likely do you think you are to get a COVID-19 vaccine before June?
Students understand that the uncertainty of the pandemic has made it difficult to plan for the future. Roughly three-quarters (73%) of students who want an internship say their view of a company would not change if an employer wants to offer a summer internship in person but later makes it remote. Just 12% would view the company less favorably, while 15% would view it more favorably.
Almost half (46%) of students hope to intern this summer, while roughly one-quarter (24%) are not sure and 31% don’t want an internship. Just 7% of students have already accepted an offer. But COVID-19’s economic impact, among other factors, has 3 in 10 (30%) students who want to intern very worried about finding a summer internship, while another 44% are somewhat worried. Just 5% are not at all worried about securing an opportunity to gain work experience over the summer.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted between January and February among a sample of 1,500 full-time and part-time students attending colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
