The Reflections of Regulatory Adjustments to Pre-Employment Internships on Engagement and Individual Employability Strategies: A Comparative Study within Two Banks in Central Africa

In a banking environment marked by uncertainty and the continuous revision of rules governing pre-employment internships, pre-employment interns develop specific individual strategies to enhance their opportunities for sustainable professional integration. While the literature primarily focuses on normative transitions (school-to-work, employment-to-retirement, unemployment-to-employment), the status of the pre-employment intern remains largely understudied. This study aims to analyze the impact of regulatory adjustments implemented by Cameroonian banks on the engagement of pre-employment interns, and to identify the individual strategies mobilized to enhance their employability prior to the transition towards permanent integration. A comparative qualitative method was employed within two banks (UBA and BICEC), based on in-depth interviews with nine pre-employment interns. The results reveal a dual effect: demotivation for some and self-motivation for others. Self-motivated interns develop personal self-training strategies, notably learning-by-doing, trial-and-error learning, and learning through observation. These strategies lead to temporary or interim forms of integration, without a guarantee of permanence. This study contributes to the literature on employability and career transitions by shedding light on an often-neglected status, while also questioning the transferability of skills acquired in a context of institutional uncertainty.