High staff turnover presents a persistent challenge in the software development industry, often resulting in low productivity, loss of knowledge, and disruption of workflows. This issue becomes even more critical in settings with professional training programs for students. This paper proposes a structured self-mentoring model to mitigate the negative effects of high turnover, wherein experienced interns guide new interns, ensuring knowledge transfer and workflow stability. The approach was implemented over five internship cycles, combining the ISO/IEC 29110 standard with agile methods to support continuous development, maintain project continuity, and foster growth in both technical and soft skills. The results of project data analysis across cycles indicate improvements in productivity, quality, and participation, accompanied by a significant reduction in rework during peak performance cycles. This model demonstrates that even in high-turnover environments, structured practices can sustain quality software development while enriching students’ learning experiences.
Negrón et al. (Wed,) studied this question.