Abstract

The goal of this article is to review and question the general framework currently used for professional internships at the University. Does the internship fit into the continuity of the sandwich training? Indeed, are we talking about a phenomenon that has full formative value or about one capable of sending a signal to the f the labour market in the need for quickly operational skills? These questions have lead the author to analyse internships from economic and legal point of view and to observe the evolution of internship towards a form of employment contract. First, this study uses empirical data from semi-structured qualitative interviews with a range of companies in the pharmaceutical / chemical industry in the Alsace region (France). In the second phase, the same companies responded to an online questionnaire aiming at identifying their perception of the trainees role within their corporate professional teams.