Articles & Insights
Don’t underrate the value of internships
Do not neglect interns by having them do menial work that keeps them from really sinking their teeth into the business aspects of a company to gain some much-needed industry experience.
This is the advice that United States-based labour consultant, Dustin Toberman, president and founder of OMNI Ag Consulting, shared during an episode of the Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s (GEAPS) Whole Grain Podcast. Toberman spoke with Jim Lenz, manager of GEAPS’ training and educational programmes.
The workplace has seen a shift, said Toberman, and grain businesses need to keep this in mind to make the most of internships, which can cost a lot in terms of time and resources. “In my 25 years in agriculture, I can recall a time when you would open a position, and you had so many candidates coming at you that you didn’t know what to do. The reality is, however, that times have changed. Companies are fighting each other for good talent.”
There is a reason why internships are so valuable at the moment. “It gives you the opportunity to identify talented young people before they’re established and have entered the open market. It gives you the inside track on them before they’re scooped up by someone else.”
This is important, because all hiring moves – good or bad – will affect a company’s growth trajectory for years to come, Toberman stressed. “I ultimately believe this is the key to the success or failure of a business, so there is a lot on the line.”
Real structure, real gains
The sun has set on the idea of informal internships. “There was a time when internships were very informal. It was almost treated like a summer job and interns were used as cheap alternative to hiring someone. This has changed,” Toberman said, adding that the modern expectation is that students will have a deeper, more hands-on experience of what’s really taking place in a business.
“The days where interns were ordered to grade grain or measure bins are in the past. Today students are working on bid sheets and are learning what it means to trade and originate grain.” Therefore, Toberman suggested letting interns move out into the world and interact with customers. “Then they are truly immersed in the experience and are enabled to sharpen their skills.”
As many interns struggle with client interactions, this will help them hone their skills, so that one day they’ll be able to step into the market and use what they’ve learned with confidence.
Internships are also the ideal opportunity to ‘test drive’ potential employees and challenge them to see what they are capable of. “At the end of the internship I want to know if the candidate is worth investing in.”
It is also important to keep in mind that these interns will return to their tertiary institutions and tell others about their experience, and a company wants that to be a positive story. “If they tell their classmates and professors that they wasted all summer on manual labour at your company, it will not do your company any favours. This will hurt you down the road, because when trying to grow your business to the point where interns start looking your way, they’ll know that you do not take your internship programme seriously.”
Click here to read full article by Susan Marais, Plaas Media for Agbiz Grain Quarterly – February 2025 issue.