Firms can benefit from taking on students for placements, the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has said.
The organisation argued that students or recent graduates taking part in work placements can bring technical skills and energy to the job, while they learn new skills and make industry connections.
In addition, taking on an intern can offer businesses the chance to forge links with local universities, it suggested, or use the time as an "extended interview" for a full-time position.
The FPB spoke to Jon Sawdon Smith, co-owner of DIY Kyoto, who said of his current student placement: "David brings a freshness to the company as a whole. His ideas are based on a non-tainted view of society and that is key to innovation."
According to recent research from the University of Arizona, students who undertake work placements or internships while at university receive better starting salaries and have more success in finding work when they graduate.
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