The main thing I would change about architectural internship would be how firms view the responsibility of mentoring the next generation.

If there was an image that captured that utopian idea of how firms should mentor their young employees it would have to be the famous photograph of Frank Lloyd Wright sitting at a drafting table, wearing his infamous hat and cape, eloquently drawing and surrounding him are 8 to 10 young designers all intently watching as if trying to glean as much out of the experience as possible. In today's architecture office this scenario is rare if non-existent. Seldom does a project architect or project manager have time to really sit down and educate an intern on the specifics of how to draw a detail or discuss the overall concept behind a design decision much less how to become a better architect and make the best out of their internship.

In today's market fees are so tight that if an intern is not working on a specific task toward completing a project the firm is losing money. This practice makes it seem as if firms are more concerned with the bottom line than they are about developing and retaining their employees.

Too few firms dedicate ample time and effort to making sure that this important stage of our development into an architect is meaningful and effective for each individual intern. Firms forgo the formal practical education of their interns and opt for the "trial by fire" method of learning. More and more firms are getting too tied up with delivering projects faster and cheaper thus leaving the intern struggling to find the answers. But they are still required to accomplish the tasks so the project will get out on time. This practice leaves very little time for reflection or complete comprehension of what they are doing or what they have done before moving on to the next project.

An internship is supposed to be a continuation of the intern's education as an architect. This is the time where the intern is there to learn from the seasoned professional and the seasoned professional's duty is to teach the practical side of the profession. However, there is very little actual teaching taking place in the office. For the most part interns are learning via independent study. Project architects redline a set of drawings indicating what it is they want and then put it back on the intern's desk. The intern makes the changes most of the time without a clear understanding why they are needed or why something was done one way versus another.

Independent study has it's strengths and if there is one thing that most recent graduates are capable of it is finding solutions and knowing where to go to research for answers. This approach to developing an intern's practical knowledge is not completely flawed. But this process does not encourage much interaction between the seasoned professional and the intern. Instead most of the intern's learning is from correcting their own mistakes or drawing just what the professional told them to without much validation of a deeper understanding as to why they were wrong or why things are designed the way they are.
If the firm only took an hour or two each week to effectively teach the intern about the process which they are working the time it would take for the intern to accomplish the task would probably be far less. This would also help foster a stronger relationship between the interns and the seasoned staff therefore creating a better overall design team that communicates more effectively. Not to mention that the interns in this type of teaching environment would be less likely to move on to another firm if they feel that they are learning effectively from their current employer.