THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now accepting undergraduate and law students for its training under is internship program.

The SEC Internship Program seeks to provide students with direct practical experience at the SEC as they look to gain professional experience on company registration and regulation, the capital markets, enforcement, investor protection and other related fields while honing their skills in relation to their respective academic backgrounds.

Also, the program will familiarize students with the mandate, powers and functions of the SEC as the national government regulatory agency charged with the supervision over the corporate sector, capital market participants as well as the protection of the investing public.

“We are proud to continue this tradition of educating students on the pivotal role of the SEC in the development of the country, so that they may be encouraged to jump start their own careers in the public service,” SEC Chairman Emilio Aquino said.

Applicants to the program must be enrolled in an undergraduate or law degree program in a higher education institution registered with the Commission on Higher Education. Their program of study must also require them to undergo an internship during the semester they are enrolled therein.

“This internship program aims to equip students with the necessary skills that will prepare them for the rigorous demands of the real world, and give them the opportunity to apply their learnings from their undergraduate or law degrees,” the SEC stated.

The commission also said that it will not accept voluntary internships for the purpose of getting work experience.

Interns will have to physically report to the office where they are assigned, and will be provided with their own office space, laptop or computer and other necessary equipment to simulate the experience of a full-fledged SEC employee.

Apart from working experience, interns will also be given the chance to attend learning and development interventions hosted by the SEC and its partners, and are required to render at least 250 hours of work credits for the duration of the internship.

At the end of the program, the SEC may recognize and reward interns who have performed outstandingly throughout their tenure.

Interns will be accepted at the SEC Headquarters in Makati City, as well as in its nine extension offices across in Baguio, Legazpi, Tarlac, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Bacolod.