Recognition of academic advisors, departments, and centers for their commitment to improving students’ employability.
The 1st Internship Recognition Day at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) which it brought together tutors and representatives from schools and departments at an event created with the goal of highlighting their commitment to a key aspect of students’ vocational training and future employability.
Through this event, the UPV—which is currently one of only two Spanish universities to hold the Quality Seal for Employability and Entrepreneurship awarded by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA), sought to recognize the extraordinary and sustained collective effort that allows the institution to remain a national leader in the management of internships.
10,866 internships in 2025, 99% of which will be paid
During the event, Elena de la Poza, Vice Rector for Employment, Continuing Education, and Languages at the UPV, highlighted the statistics that speak to the university’s track record in providing internships.
“In 2025, UPV students completed a total of 10,866 internships, 99% of which were paid, setting a new all-time record, thanks to the trust of more than 2,000 partner companies and institutions and the support of 1,954 academic advisors whose commitment was indispensable,” stated the vice rector.
“What’s more,” he added, “in the first half of 2026, our students completed more than 6,900 internships—a 7% increase over the previous year—at a total of 2,043 companies, an 11% increase. In fact, 13 of the UPV’s 15 campuses have already exceeded their annual target in the first half of the year.”
DOE Takes Gold; DIMM and DECS Take Silver and Bronze
The Department of Business Organization ( DOE) was the gold medal winner at the UPV’s first Company Internship Orientation Day. The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering ( DIMM) and the Department of Economics and Social Sciences ( DECS), won silver and bronze, respectively, beating out the other finalist departments, which were Architectural Structures, Systems Engineering and Automation, Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanics of Continuous Media and Structural Theory, Engineering Projects and Information Systems and Computing.
15 finalist tutors
As for the tutors, the 1st UPV Internship Recognition Day honoured Raquel Amselem, Patricio Orlando Letelier, Josep Capó, Iván Patrao, and Andrés Lapuebla as the best advisors of 2025, at a ceremony that also recognized the work of the other 10 finalists: Julián Alcalá, Pablo Ballesteros, María Amparo Baviera, Tomás Baviera, Ana Esteso, Vicent Giner, David Juárez, Vicente Pelechano, Modesto Pérez, and Teresa Pilar Real.
On behalf of the academic advisors, three faculty members—one from each UPV campus—shared their perspectives, experiences, and recommendations regarding student support during internships.
Rebeca Díez Somavilla, teacher at the Gandia campus, highlighted the role of the academic advisor as a support figure during internships, especially at a time that often causes uncertainty among students because, in many cases, it is their first professional experience. He also emphasized the importance of students approaching this period with honesty and noted that the mentor’s role is essential when issues arise, “such as situations in which the assigned tasks do not align with the student’s academic profile or the duties initially anticipated.” In addition, he called for “greater flexibility in the administrative procedures related to internship management.”
For his part, Modesto Pérez Sánchez, a professor at the Alcoy Higher Polytechnic School, noted that “a good internship is one in which problems arise and are gradually resolved,” while Ana Esteso Álvarez, a professor at the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering on the Vera campus, emphasized students’ ability to choose their own internships.
The 1st UPV Internship Recognition Day also recognized the work of all UPV schools and colleges in promoting corporate internships and improving students’ employability.