As International Youth Day brings the role of young professionals into focus, financial technology company WeFi Technology Group is highlighting the critical components of a high-value internship. The company, which operates globally, emphasizes that the most effective programs are those that provide tangible benefits to both the intern and the business.
Rob Knight, WeFi’s Africa and Innovation Managing Director, underscored the company’s approach, stating, “Talented people differentiate businesses, and internships are about cultivating talent and giving back to the markets that have supported us.” Knight’s commentary is based on the company’s extensive experience, which includes its flagship Nicholas Feinstein Technology Internship Scholarship, a program that partners with the University of Northern Colorado (UNC).
According to WeFi, a top-tier internship can be defined by three core ingredients:
- Accountability: WeFi’s model ensures interns are not used as role fillers but are actively supported through diverse exposure and a daily rate to cover living expenses. The partnership with UNC creates a feedback loop, with the university’s newspaper documenting the interns’ experiences, which holds the company accountable for the value provided.
- Structure: WeFi’s interns follow a structured curriculum that includes exposure to both business and technical environments. Programs involve working in planned sprint environments, test environments, and even developing cutting-edge AI agents. This structured approach helps interns explore their career interests, as evidenced by UNC alum Rufta Atsgeba, who noted that her experience building AI agents may change her career focus.
- Networking: Interns gain significant exposure to industry mentors and professionals, attend conferences, and build lasting professional relationships. This focus on networking helps students develop essential soft skills for enterprise roles and create valuable contacts. UNC alum Ethan Blair highlighted the benefit of working in scrum and sprint environments, stating it prepares them for the real world.
For prospective interns, WeFi suggests two primary paths to secure such opportunities: university partnerships and industry networking. The company collaborates with institutions like UNC and the University of Stellenbosch to meet and interview candidates. For those without university connections, Knight advises proactively building rapport with professionals in their desired industry, showing a serious interest in their work.
