There were no first-day jitters about getting lost when my internship at CNN International started in September 2020. I sat at a desk in my bedroom, and I already knew where to find the fridge. It was a similar experience in 2021 as my second internship, at Mercury LLC, was also fully remote.

During the past two years, employers have faced a steep learning curve as they developed remote offerings for interns and trainees. Now a second shift is on the way — applying what was learnt in delivering virtual internships to make the most of a hybrid future.

“Getting across the values of the firm can be difficult to do remotely and virtually if they [the interns] are logging on and logging straight off and being by themselves,” says Cathy Baxter, UK head of talent engagement at PwC, the professional services firm.