Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar Institute of Technology

Internship Guideline for Undergraduate Program

March, 2022
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Contents
Acronym ............................................................................................................................. 2
Short Title ........................................................................................................................... 3
Scope of application ............................................................................................................ 3
Rationale and objective of the guideline ............................................................................. 3
Definitions........................................................................................................................... 4
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Benefits of internship .................................................................................................... 5
2. Internship Placement & follow up .................................................................................. 8
2.1. Eligibility criteria for placement ................................................................................ 10
2.2 Application & Placement ............................................................................................ 10
2.3 Follow up ................................................................................................................ 11
2.4 Evaluation ................................................................................................................... 11
3.Role and Responsibilities ............................................................................................... 12
Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 17

1
Acronym
BiT Bahir Dar Institute of Technology
BDU Bahir Dar University
QIP Qualified Internship Program
TVET Technical Vocational Educational and Training
UIL University Industry Linkage

2
Short Title
This guideline shall be cited as: “Internship Guideline for Undergraduate Program,
(Hereafter, the internship guideline) of BiT.

Scope of application
All academic units of the institute shall implement this internship guideline for all
undergraduate programs.

Rationale and objective of the guideline

The importance of this guideline is to implement the internship program with common
principles, guidelines and procedures to improve competence level of all stakeholders.
The development of this guideline will assist undergraduate students, mentors, academic
units and UIL office in understanding the requirements and their responsibilities for the
success of the program.

Now, therefore, by the powers vested in it by Higher Education Proclamation No

1152/2019, any institution shall be established, changed, or modified, providing
management systems that shall guarantee effective delivery of education and research.

Thus, the objective of developing this internship guideline is to improve the quality of
education facilitating decisions and activities to contribute to the Vision of the
University.

3
Definitions
Industry: is any organization/institution which could be governmental, non-
governmental, and private and NGOs that has a potential for collaborative works such as
Research, Technology transfer, Community service, Consultancy, Internship and
Externship.
Internship: is the process of engaging students in work related programs/activities
primarily for the purpose of providing them with hands-on experience that enhances their
learning or understanding of issues relevant to a particular area of study, during which
period they are closely supervised by experienced company/institution supervisors and
University mentors.
Intern: a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at an industry or institute
occupation in order to gain practical work experience and attitude related to his field of
study.
Mentor: An experienced academic staff who is assigned to consult students in a
company who trains and counsels interns.
Company Supervisor: is an experienced person who is assigned by the company or
industry to consult and give direction to interns
University Industry Linkage፡ it is the process of deploying sustainable relations with
Universities, Industries, Research Institutions and TVET on the basis of principled and
transparent negotiations and agreements for realizing the mutual benefits which in turn
resulted in mutual exchanges of knowledge, skill, and other transactions on Research,
Technology transfer, Community service, Consultancy, Internship and Externship.

4
 1. Introduction
Internships are work-based activities in which students engage in learning through
practical and relevant experiences at various internship sites. Bahir Dar Institute of
Technology implement mandatory internship program for period of four months for its
Engineering and Technology students. These structured experiences involve the practical
application of previously studied theory through course work. Internships are targeted to
the students’ meaningful future plans and allow them to explore careers that require
additional knowledge, certification, or on-the-job training.
Effective internships provide interns with the opportunities to develop an understanding
of the career area duties and responsibilities, terminology, process, protocol, and other
information that will enable interns to analyze and revise their meaningful future plans.
There must be agreements, understandings, instruction, and orientation for all
participants; coordination by each program and office of industry linkage, evaluation of
each intern’s experience; and program analysis for future improvements.
Internships are the most important link from the world of studies to the world of work.
For most of the students, it is their first step into practical experience. Students are
exposed to the world which called be their future workplace, and exposure which brings
enormous benefits for all sides: the companies, the students themselves and the
university.

1.1 Benefits of internship

Benefits for Companies

Although the primary purpose of the internship program is to provide the students with
meaningful professional experience related to their career field, the QIP has unique
advantages for the companies as well, which include the following:

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 ▪ Internships are the most practical and cost-effective way of recruitment. The
internship period is relatively the perfect time to screen the personal and technical
skills of the intern without any commitment to hire.
▪ Decreasing costs for intensive trainee programs for fresh graduates.
▪ Especially companies in regions, which are not considered as attractive by
students or graduates have the chance to bind up with the students to make them
familiar with the corporate culture and the used technologies. By Introducing
possible career paths and promotions within the company the intern gets
interested in an employment. The internship program can also be considered as a
tool to avoid brain drain from the regions to the capital.
▪ Through internship program the company will get a chance to increase social self-
image and promote its service and products to the customers.
▪ The company might also use the interns as a free skilled work force and minimize
its labor cost.

Benefits for Students

The benefits for students are quite obvious: for the first time they get the chance to apply
the classroom knowledge in the real work life! They are allowed and even demanded to
get dirty hands by touching all the things they have theoretically heard about before.
They learn about working processes, helps them to have a professional ethics, how
important it is to be punctual! All these experiences sharpen the student’s profile and
improve his technical and personal skills.
The benefits in detail include:
▪ Students increase their employability through:
a) Gaining knowledge of organizational structure and processes in the industry,
b) Becoming familiar with new techniques and methods,
c) Shortening the transition period from studies to work.
▪ Student exercise individual responsibility and develop strong teamwork skills,
▪ Interns build up a network of professional contacts for future opportunities and
references,
▪ Get insight in being an entrepreneur

6
 ▪ Get important thesis and research ideas which helps them on their future career
development

Benefits for the University

When the curricula for all fields of study have been revised, the universities would be the
driving force behind the integration of the internship semester! They were aware of the
urgent need to educate the future graduates both theoretically and practically in order to
meet the needs of the industry. The internship program also has several advantages for
the university:
▪ Broadens the linkage of the university to the industry
▪ The company shares some costs in educating the student (by enhancing laboratory
skills)
▪ Raising the level to international standards
▪ Generating potential income through consulting projects
▪ Strengthening the position of the institute of technology as a cooperation partner
for supporting the development of industry through applied research and
consultation.

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2. Internship Placement & follow up
The process of internship requires standardized steps in order to achieve a systematic
approach in particular for the students. The internship process has four main parts. These
are:
1. Application
2. Preparation
3. Realization
4. Finalization
The following scheme describes the process in detail.

Student apply at UIL for internship one semester prior to the internship period

With Internship With their own internship Without internship

obtained by projects approved through place
themselves department

UIL office registers students

UIL office secure placement and

chooses appropriate IS place

UIL offices inform students on approval of internship place and provide

relevant information and internship manual – including sheets and formats

Students start preparation for qualified internship

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Preparation for QIP

Students look for a mentor or the department should assign

Student collects allocated internship finance from the

university

Students collect and work on basic formats for internship

together with mentor

Students start qualified internship

QIP Realization

UIL timely follow Mentors Assist Supervision by site

up of the program intern and conduct supervisor
site visit
(Appendix 2)

Weekly and monthly report evaluation by mentor & Supervisor

(Appendix 3 & 4)

Final approval, Attendance and evaluation by Mentor & Supervisor

(Appendix 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Student start finalization of QIP

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QIP Finalization

Students finalize their internship by preparing the following documents

with support of their mentor: (appendix 13 & 14)
Final written report on internship
Final report of project

Students report at their respective facility.

Submit their documents and company evaluations

Students present their work

(Appendix 10, 11, 12)

2.1. Eligibility criteria for placement

To be eligible to complete a credited internship, students must meet the following

requirements:

1. Registered for internship

2. Pass Holistic Exam
3. Must pass their pervious semester
4. Must get hosting company

2.2 Application & Placement

▪ Students apply at UIL for internship one semester prior to the internship period and
must obtain internship industry by themselves. The faculty must check and approve
the appropriates of the obtained industry.
▪ UIL office in collaboration with the faculty will search and place on merit based for
those who could not obtain hosting company by themselves

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2.3 Follow up

▪ Before they leave the campus for internship the students will get orientation about
QIP through UIL office, the faculty will assign mentors and students must collect
and work on basic formats for internship together with mentor
▪ The mentor should communicate regularly through social media groups,
telephone communication, etc.
▪ The mentor should visit students twice during the internship period and should
submit his report to the respective faculty after his visit (appendix 2). Besides the
visits at the work place of the student the mentor has to check the attendance
sheet, monthly evaluation by the company supervisor, monthly reports
▪ The mentor must identify problems of the industry and give assignments to the
students
▪ The mentor has to meet the students on regular basis and give clear guide lines
about the expectations for the work to be done
▪ The mentor has to provide constructive feedback regularly during the time of
internship
▪ The student must present the final report including project work to the company
supervisor and bring confirmation letter (see Appendix 6)
N.B: Faculty shall assign one mentor for maximum of four students

2.4 Evaluation

The final internship grade should be a combined result of the following areas of
evaluations
▪ Faculty mentors’ evaluation comprises 30% of the total marks given for the
students. (see appendix 9)
▪ Company supervisors’ evaluation comprises 10% of the total marks given for
the students. It will be based on the supervisors’ judgments on the quality of the
students’ performances and their professional ethics (See appendix 5)
▪ Document examiner evaluation comprises 30% of the total marks given for the
students (See appendix 10).

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 ▪ Oral presentation evaluation comprises 30% of the total marks given for the
students (See appendix 12).
▪ Students’ internship attendance
▪ More than 10 days absent or more than 15 days late = Incomplete
▪ (See annex 8)
Remarks
▪ If Students will do their project in team, number students in one team shall be maximum
of 3 students
▪ Students should submit their company supervisor’s evaluation for their respective
mentors. The result sent from the company advisor must be stamped and enclosed with
an envelope.
▪ The final grade of internship should be based on the existing grading system.
▪ A student is required to submit two copies of his /her final internship report to the faculty.
▪ The respective APO/Chair Holder should distribute student’s final report for the assigned
document evaluators. This should be done in advance i.e. 2-3 days before presentation.
▪ Presentation of one report should be evaluated/judged by at least two examiners/juries.
▪ Presentation of one report should take ( 20- 30 )minutes
▪ The performance result filled by company mentor should be submitted to the office of the
school

3.Role and Responsibilities

The internship program involves five parties:
1. UIL office
2. Intern
3. Student’s Mentor
4. Company supervisor
5. Faculty

Parties Role and responsibilities

▪ Conduct proper industry mapping and searches for internship places or

UIL office
quota.
▪ Request list and record qualifying students from respective faculty.

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 ▪ Give request form to students to search for own internship places
during their vacations/ break
▪ Collect internship places attained by students of respective programs
▪ Collect necessary information about the intern such as bank account,
mobile number etc
▪ Prepare and give all the necessary forms to be used during the
internship
▪ Organize orientation about qualified internship program
▪ Prepare first and second round term payments to respective students
(transport plus additional per diem for days stayed in internship)
▪ In case of severe problems occurring in the companies the UIL-office
interferes after consultation with the responsible mentor.
▪ The UIL-office randomly checks the evaluation forms and reports
submitted by the students
▪ Collect feedback from the host company
▪ Recognize best internship projects
▪ The student must search for industry acceptance by themselves (N.B
Interns
searching place is solely students’ responsibility)
▪ The student must inform their acceptance to the faculty respective
officer prior to 2 months before leaving to internship program
▪ The student must be on time as a regular worker of the
company/industry
▪ Students must keep their faculty internship advisor updated on the
progress of the internship while away from campus
▪ The student must engage himself/herself in the identifying problems
and giving solutions.
▪ At the end of the internship program, the student must write a full
report of the internship experience based on the given writing format
▪ The student must be able to give a brief explanation of the industry for
their mentor.
▪ The student is expected to be professional in their respective offices, in

13
 the hours they work, in their manners of dress, in their relation with
other members of the staff
▪ The student must present their internship experience in the presence of
instructors based on the schedule set by their respective faculties
▪ The student must present the final report including project work to the
company supervisor and bring confirmation letter (see Appendix 6)
▪ The mentor should communicate regularly through social media
Students’
Mentor groups, telephone communication, zoom meetings etc.
▪ The mentor should visit students twice during the internship period.
▪ The mentor should guide students on person during company visit.
▪ The mentor should submit his report to the respective faculty after his
visit (appendix 2)
▪ The mentor must identify problems of the industry and give
assignments to the students
▪ The mentor have to meet the students on regular basis and give clear
guide lines about the expectations for the work to be done
▪ The mentor has to provide constructive feedback regularly during the
time of internship
▪ The mentor must fill out students’ evaluation form on time and submit
to the respective body
▪ The mentor should take part in the final presentation of the student,
when the student presents his/her experiences and findings.
▪ Besides the visits at the work place of the student the mentor has to
check the attendance sheet, monthly evaluation by the company
supervisor, monthly reports.
▪ Aware the students company policies and procedures.
Company
Supervisor ▪ Create a basic schedule, identify a special project and assist in
completing the project.
▪ Review the student(s) goals and objectives to establish appropriateness
for the company prior to the start of internship
▪ Proper allocation of students based on their field of study

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 ▪ Work with student(s) to identify responsibilities and implement skills
that reflect professional experiences
▪ Provide professional opportunities for the student to learn and develop
and apply their career goals and objectives
▪ Complete a final evaluation of the student's performance using the
supplied company Supervisor Evaluation Form.
▪ Give relevance information for Academic supervisor
▪ Provide ethical guidance and support as the student practices
professional skills and develops a professional role.
▪ Contact University Industry Linkage Office at any time when questions
or concerns arise.
▪ Provide a regular time for supervision to monitor the student(s)
performance in meeting goals, objectives, and responsibilities.
▪ Understanding an internship student’s objectives
▪ Documenting the Attendance sheet of students
▪ Consulting the student with the appropriate approach to technical
problem
▪ The company advisor must properly evaluate students based on the
evaluation form given and send it to the institute in close and stamped
envelope (appendix 5).
▪ Must evaluate interns by considering only the activity they perform in
the company
▪ Shall evaluate the final report including project work before filling the
evaluation given by the interns and confirm the project done by interns
using the form in appendix 6.
▪ APO
Faculty
▪ Prepare list of qualified students for internship
▪ Prepare and give orientation for students of respective program with
the UIL office
▪ Search for internship places with UIL coordinator officer
▪ Facilitate staff allocation for mentoring of apprenticeship taking

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 students
▪ Follow-up, collect comments and feedbacks of mentors, check if
mentors properly advise the allocated students in person
▪ Facilitate apprenticeship student evaluation (presentation time, report
distribution)
▪ Select best internship projects
▪ Prepare list of industries suitable for internship as per their respective
program
▪ Check the appropriateness of the hosting company that give acceptance
for the student under their program

Effective Date
This guideline shall come to effect as of the day of approval by the Senate, March 2022.

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Appendix
1. Development of learning objectives and specific tasks for internship

Note (For the company and mentor) Please ensure the agreed up on objectives and
activities can develop interns future carrier)
Student Name: _________________
Department: __________________
Objective
A. understand the overall working
systems of organization
Specific activities to achieve objective
1. ---------------------------------------
2. ----------------------------------------
3. ----------------------------------------
4. ----------------------------------------
5. ----------------------------------------

B. Strengthen and expand Knowledge 1. --------------------------------------

relevant to interns profession 2. ---------------------------------------
3. ---------------------------------------
4. ---------------------------------------
5. --------------------------------------

C. Acquire Hands-on-training in practical skill 1. -------------------------------------

in one or several of his/her specific profession 2. -------------------------------------
3. -------------------------------------
4. -------------------------------------

Responsible mentor Name Responsible Site supervisor

Name: __________________ Name: ______________________
Department: ____________________ Position: _____________________
Signature: ______________________ Signature: ____________________
Date: __________________________ Date: ________________________

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 2.Mentors Report Format
Bahir Dar Institute of Technology
[Faculty]
[Department]
Mentors Report Format
For evaluation and improvement of the internship process every mentor is expected to submit this report
format by filling with due care. The faculty is very great full and provides many thanks for your
commitment to supervise students and delivering mentoring feedback timely. Thank you once again!!!
1. Places moved
_________________________________________________________________
2. No. of students Mentored _______________________
3. Major Tasks accomplished
________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. General Observations (Comments about Internship process)
i. About students (exposure they get and their commitment etc.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
ii.About company (acceptance and follow up etc.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
5. Major opportunities or strengths of the internship process
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6. Major Challenges encountered
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
7. What other extracurricular ideas obtained/ or activities performed if any (may include but
not limited to research, community service or technology transfer ideas ...)
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Name _________________________ sign. ____________________ Date _________________

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 3. Weekly report

Weekly reports
Use this form for describing the weekly activities. Then compile the weekly reports to one monthly
report and write an abstract about your activities, your achievements, progress of the project over
the month

Week No.:______________ Dates: ____/____/________ to ____/____/________

Weekdays Activities

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
Abstract on activities covered during the week: (Approximately half a page use font size 11)

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 4. Monthly Internship report

Student name: ______________________

Department:________________________
Date: _____________________________

S/N Objectives Planned Activities Performed activities

1. understand the over all
working systems of
organization

2. Strengthen and expand

Knowledge relevant to
academic background

3. Acquire Hands-on-
training in practical skill
in one or several of
his/her specific
profession

----------------------------------- --------------------------------- ---------------------------

Signature, Student Signature, Supervisor Signature, Mentor

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 5. Final Evaluation Sheet

Final Evaluation Sheet to be filled by Company Supervisor

Company Name :
Company Supervisor Name :
Students Name :
Students Department At Institute :

Please give appropriate value in the box provided out of the total value given for each
evaluation criteria.

General Performance (25%)

Punctuality [5%]
Reliability [5%]
Independence in Work [5%]
Communication Skills [5%]
Professionalism [5%]

Personal Skills (25%)

Speed of Work [5%]
Accuracy [5%]
Engagement [5%]
Do you recommend him for your work [5%]
Cooperating with colleagues [5%]

Professional Skills (50%)

N.B the intern students are just 4th year students and they are not graduates
Technical Skills [ 5%]
Organizing Skills [ 5%]
Problem solving project [25%]
Responsibility in task-fulfillments [15%]

Result Total Percentage

Supervisor Signature

__________________
Company
Stamp

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 6. Company supervisor’s approval form for the project

Final approval sheet to be filled by Company Supervisor

Company Name _____________________________

Company Supervisor Name _____________________________

Students Name _____________________________

Students Department At Institute _____________________________

I hereby certify that I have supervised, read, and evaluated this project titled
“__________________________________________________________________”
prepared by_______________________________________ under my guidance. I
recommend the project to be submitted for internship report presentation.

_____________________ ________________ _____________

Supervisor’s name Signature Date

Stamp of the company

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7. Suggestion on Project for Internship

(Please provide your suggestion on internship project for future amendment and
improvement)

1. Student

2. Supervisor

3. Mentor

----------------------------------- --------------------------------- ---------------------------

Signature, Student Signature, Supervisor Signature, Mentor

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8. Internship Attendance Sheet to be filled by company supervisor

Intern full name ______________________________

Company Name_________________________________
Month___________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Total absent day in the month_________________________
Supervisor name and signature____________________________

Month___________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Total absent day in the month_________________________
Supervisor name and signature____________________________

Month___________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Total absent day in the month_________________________
Supervisor name and signature____________________________

Month___________
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Total absent day in the month_________________________
Supervisor name and signature____________________________

Company stamp

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 No.

5
4
3
2
1
Student Name

Stream

Overall
performance of
the student (10%)

Problem Solving
Skills (10%)

Level of
Design Skills (10%)

Mentor’s Name: _________________

9. Mentor’s Evaluation (30%)

Level of
Experimentation Skills
(10%)

Level of Knowledge
Application (10%)
(To be filled by academic mentor)
INTERNSHIP Program Student Evaluation

Level of Computer
Skills(10%)

Signature: _______
Level of Tools & Skills
(10%)

Level of
Teamwork
Skills (10%)

Level of
I verify that the above marks are fair and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Communication
Skills (10%)

Innovation
Date:______________

Skills
[10%]

25
Total

100%
to 30%
Converted
 10. Examiner Evaluation (30%)

Part I (Report Quality)

Recommendation
(Organizational &
Specific Section)
identification &

Completeness

Conclusion &

Total (Part I)
solving skill
Workflow
Problem

Project
S.N
Stream 10 % 8% 6% 6% 30%
o. Student Name
1

Name of Examiners

1. Name: _______________________ Sign:

____________ Date: _______

2. Name: _______________________ Sign:

____________ Date: ______

26
 11. Summary of Student performance (50%)

(To be compiled by academic mentor)

No Student Name Faculty Mentors Company Supervisors Total
Stream Evaluation [30%] Evaluation [10%] 40%
1
2
3
4
5
6
I verify that the above marks are fair and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

1. Name: ____________________ Sign: _________________ Date: _______

27
 12. Oral Presentation Evaluation (30%)
(To be completed by all assigned juries)

Student’s Name: …………………………………… ID……………..

Final score converted to 30% _________________________________

Examiner Name: _________________________________
Date: _________________
Signature: _________________

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 13. Outline for an Internship Report
Part one (maximum of 7 pages)
• Cover page
• Declaration
• Acknowledgements (If any) – only one page
• An executive summary – only one page
• Table of content
• List of tables and figures (if any)
Part Two
Company Background: maximum of 7 Pages describing the background of your
internship hosting company, including:
▪ Its brief history
▪ Its main products or services
▪ Its main customers or the end users of its products or services
▪ Its organizational structure
▪ Its work flow in each departments or functional units of the factory

Part Three
Internship experience: (8-12) Pages describing the overall benefits you gained from the
internship, including:
▪ In which section of the company you have been working and why?
▪ Which work tasks you have been executing
▪ What types of Engineering methods, tools and techniques you have been using
while performing your work tasks.
▪ What major challenges and problems you have been facing and identifying while
performing your work tasks.
▪ What measures you have taken (propose as a solution/recommendation for the
identified problems out of the problem selected for project work) in order to
overcome these challenges and problems, etc.
▪ What you gained in terms of improving your practical skills
▪ What you gained in terms of upgrading your theoretical knowledge
▪ What you gained in terms of improving your team playing skills
▪ What you gained in terms of improving your leadership skills
▪ What you gained in terms of understanding about work ethics issues, industrial
psychology and related issues.
▪ What you gained in terms of entrepreneurship skills
▪ What you gained in terms of improving your interpersonal communication skills
▪ Recommendation and conclusion on your internship experiance

Part Four
Project Work for the selected main problem (10 – 20 pages)
• Summary of the project
• Problem statement & Justification
• Objective of the project
• Methodology
• Analysis, Results and discussion
• Proposed solution
• Conclusion and recommendation

Part five
General conclusion and Recommendation

References (including company documents and annual reports)

Appendices

29
 14. Cover page template

Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar Institute of Technology
[Faculty]
[Department]

Internship Report

[Hosting Company]
[Project Title]

By: [Student Full Name]

[ID No.]
Mentor: [Instructor Full Name]
Company Supervisor: [Full
Name]
Date: [submitted date]

30