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If someone gave me a penny for every time people assumed training and internship as the same thing, I would have been a millionaire by now. Although, both training and internships are similar in the context that both help you hone your skills and put the gained knowledge to practical use, still there is a world of differences between the two.
The Key Difference
An internship is like a job before the real job where students get a chance to apply the knowledge they have gained through academics in a practical, workplace setting. It helps the candidate experience what it is like to work in a specific career field and gain relevant knowledge and skills.
Training is more like a skill-acquisition program where your current employers train you on a specific skill or domain. Training is conducted for both fresher as well as for experienced employees to keep them updated. It is more like an education program where the emphasis is on practical learning than abstract theatrical learning
Expectations from You
During the course of internships you are often given projects/assignments and there are expectations regarding deliverables. You need to provide a detailed report about the work you have done during your internship tenure to your reporting manager.
On the other hand in a training, you are usually expected to learn things and in some cases, you might be asked to prepare a documentation and report.
Contract of Employment
Training is given only after a candidate is hired by the company or is already working for the company for some time. This means after the training is over, the candidate will continue to be an employee of the same company.
There is no such employment contract between an intern and his company. At the end of the internship, the employer may extend an offer for full-time employment. However, the intern is free to reject or accept the offer as per his will.
Paid versus Unpaid
Internships can be paid or unpaid depending upon the position but during training, an employee is on the company’s payroll and is always paid as per his/her current salary
Duration
The duration of training varies depending upon the subject and can last from anything between 15 to 30 days. In some companies, the training program conducted for ‘freshers’ are spanned up to 2 months.
Internships are lengthier than training and the minimum duration for it is usually 3-6 months. Sometimes internships can last as long as 12 months.
The Bottom-line
Although both training and internship vary from one another, both are important for the growth of an individual as a professional. An internship gives practical application of theoretical knowledge whereas a good training helps in improving the employee’s performance. Internship works as a gateway for getting a permanent job, training helps you climb up the corporate ladder in your current job.