A new report from Axios today highlights how major tech companies are “scrambling to craft digital options” for summer internships this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For its part, Apple has committed to hiring over 1,000 people for internships this summer.

Many companies have shifted their summer internships to be online, including Google, Twitter, IBM, Microsoft, Lyft, and Salesforce. Other companies, including Apple, say they plan to host interns on-site for at least part of the summer so long as it’s safe to do so.

Apple told Axios in a statement that it will hire more than 1,000 people for online and in-person internships. The company is also committed to offering interns the same protections against COVID-19 as it offers full-time employees:

Apple, which told Axios it plans to hire more than 1,000 people for a mix of online and in-person internships and pledged in a statement to “extend to our interns the same precautions and care that we’re extending to all our other personnel as a part of the ongoing COVID-19 response.”

Apple didn’t offer details on the size of its 2020 summer internship programs in comparison to previous years. Microsoft and Amazon, for instance, say that they expect their biggest class of interns ever this summer, while Salesforce and Twitter say their intern class may shrink this summer.

Axios also points out that one key question remains for interns this year at all companies:

A key question is how meaningful the online experience proves to be, both as a learning experience and a recruiting tool. Employers understand they need to try to find effective remote substitutes for in-person networking and social events, in addition to finding work tasks that can be done fully online.

The full report at Axios is well worth a read, especially if you or someone you know is curious about the state of big tech summer internships this year.

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