I've never understood the obsession with internships. Why be an (unpaid) intern when you can hold down an entry-level tech job during college? Why aren't there more summer/break jobs for students?
(I paid my way through college by doing programming work. Part time during school, full-time during breaks)
In Canada the system is slightly different. We usually don't have as many internships as we have coops. The main differences between the two are the following:
* Coop is usually paid
* It's usually technical.
* Some universities have programs to support coops.
The biggest coop program is from the University of Waterloo. All engineering students are required to take part in the program which combines work and school by alternating between a school semester and work semester. The university has it's own job posting website, and it actively foes looking to find more employers to offer jobs. It also makes sure that the student gets to do real work, not make coffee all day. If a student feels like he's getting the short end of a stick with a job, he can complain to the university which will look into it and clear things up.
Outside of programming, many companies won't take people without the completed degree. Many people just don't work during college, and many who do, don't work in a field at all related to what they want to do. I was able to get jobs and internships that helped me gain valuable experience and lead to more job opportunities, but few students are willing to look for and hustle into opportunities outside a few job listings. The best, most valuable experiences I gained were simply by asking for a job that wasn't there yet.
Also, I was mandated to do an internship that related to my major (paid or unpaid) for at least one semester, so I presume some other people are in the same boat.
Internships, done right, offers something very different than an entry-level tech job. During an internship, you should get a chance to circulate through several different departments and try out several different positions under the mentoring of several different people and really get a chance to find out what you might want to do with your life, without any real demands to perform.
(I paid my way through college by doing programming work. Part time during school, full-time during breaks)