Regal Boats wins Business Academy Internship of the Year

114 spectators sat on the edge of their seats in the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen on Tuesday 16 May, when it was decided which company had created the best internship. The winner was Regal Boats from Florida.

433 interns from the country's nine business academies had nominated their internship companies. Every business academy chose a local winner, and it was these finalists who, in front of the jury and the 114 guests, presented why their internship deserved to win the award, Business Academy Internship of the Year.

And they all did that in an impressive manner, but in the end a single winner had to be found. The winner was Rasmus Christensen who studied to become a production technologist and had achieved impressive results during his internship: Among other things, he increased the productivity by 40 percent.

Rasmus Christensen was a happy and proud, but also a surprised winner:

- I was sincerely surprised because the others' presentations were really great, and, like me, they had gained a lot from their internships. But I could really see what I had learned, and how much value I had created with that learning, and it is my impression that this is what the jury emphasized. I am very happy to give back – not only to Regal Boats, but also to my lecturers and Mette and Melanie, who helped me getting the visa, says Rasmus Christensen, who, like every fourth business academy student, has been offered a job at his internship company.

The jury's explanation

The jury that consisted of Anne-Mette Stender, Head of HR at Home, Peter Thyregod, Head of Education Policy at The Danish Association of Professional Technicians, Karina Boldsen, Chief Commercial Officer at Solitwork, and Christine Antorini, Chairwoman, The Danish Parliament's Education and Research Committee, explained why Rasmus Christensen won:

- The company gave him the opportunity to contribute. They gave him a specific case, and when he examined it, he saw that something in their processes could be done in a better way. In a typical Danish way, he told the management 'I think I can process optimize this'. And it is here the company is great because they allow him to do it. Just like they make up their mind on the things he finds out, they subsequently implement them. It is an involving internship. And Rasmus' approach was 'what can I do for them?' and not just what they could do for him, says Christine Antorini and elaborates:

- It is not just because his internship was in a foreign country, but if there is something we must be proud of, it is that we educate independently thinking individuals, and that makes Rasmus capable of working in a country where the culture is very different.

Rasmus Christensen's parents were also present in the Royal Danish Opera and saw their son being announced as the winner.

- They are happy because they know how much the academic pride means to me, to create results for the benefit of others, tells Rasmus Christensen.

The Royal Danish Opera sat the scene for the Business Academy Internship of the Year 2017.

Focus on the good internship

The Business Academy Internship of the Year award is established in order to put focus on how the internship becomes a successful and rewarding experience for both the intern and the company.

In many cases, the internship is the admission ticket to the students' first job. Danish Business Academy estimates that one in four internships on the business academies leads to a job afterwards. Seven of the nine finalists have got a job at their internship company.

The nine finalists

• Aasted ApS – nominated by Lasse Fonnesbek Drustrup, who has studied International Sales and Marketing at Copenhagen Business Academy, Cphbusiness.
• Ecco A/S – nominated by Italian Sebastiano Finocchiaro, who is studying Marketing Management at International Business Academy Kolding.
• Fantini of Denmark – nominated by Eva-Maria Schober, who is studying Fashion Design at Business Academy Southwest in Sønderborg.
• Complot Media – nominated by Sofie Vindum, who is studying Marketing Management at Business Academy Midwest in Herning.
• Kragerup Gods – nominated by Pia Eda Petersen and Maiken Rose Lindholm Petersen, who are studying Service, Hospitality and Tourism Management at Zealand Institute of Business and Technology in Slagelse.
• Regal Boats, Orlando, Florida – nominated by Rasmus Christensen, who is studying Production Technology at Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, KEA.
• Skovbjerg Dyrlæge Team – nominated by Line Christensen, who is studying Agricultural Technology at Lillebælt Academy of Professional Higher Education, EAL.
• Aros Forsikring – nominated by Jeppe Ahrensborg Grundt, who is studying Financial Bachelor at Business Academy Aarhus.
• Method & Madness Architects and HelenaRing.dk – nominated by Amalie Tandrup Poulsen, who is studying Marketing Management at Dania – Academy of Higher Education, in Randers.