What is an Internship Program:

Internship gives students the opportunity to gain experience and apply their knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills in a professional setting.  An Internship program gives employers the opportunity to hire high school and college students to work on a short-term basis for pay or with no pay.

These are some key things you need to know about  internship programs:


Who can setup an Internship Program:

Any startup or established business can establish an intern program.  A for-profit or non-profit organization can setup an internship program.  Whether you have one or hundreds of employees you can establish an internship program.  Whether you have an office or work out of your home you can establish an internship program.

 

What Can Interns Be Used For:

Interns can be used for any of the functions in your business which includes, research, marketing, administrative, training, information technology, accounting, sales, transportation, etc.

 

Where Can Interns Be Placed To Work:

Interns can be assigned to work in your office location, a field location, from their homes, or where ever your place of business is.  If you're a work from home business and don't have the room to house an intern you can have them work from an alternate location such as their own homes, or another location.  

 

Why Establish An Internship Program:

An internship program can contribute to your organization in the following ways:

- Increase the bottom line by giving you the assistance you need to grow the business

- Get the help you need at a price you can afford

- Gives you the ability to evaluate potential future employee

- It brings in new personnel who can introduce new ideas to the business

- Creates managaement opportunities for your staff

 

Where Can Interns Be Recruited From:

- High School

- Colleges (under graduate/graduate & International Students)

- Online sources:

 

How Much Are Interns Paid:

- You can pay an Intern anywhere from minimum wage to $20.00 per hour or more depending on the organization

- if you can't afford to pay an hourly wage you can offer to pay a monthly stipend

-  You have the option to offer an internship program that does not pay a wage (as long as it meets the criteria outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor under the FLSA).  Internships can be offered on a pay or no-pay [unpaid] basis.  If you're a for-profit organization it is expected that you will offer some form of compensation.  It is not expected for non-profit organizations to offer compensation.  Employers can save money by hiring students for unpaid positions from schools that fund the unpaid internship.

 

Do You Have To Provide Benefits To Interns:

No.  Interns are considered short-term employees and hence are not entitled to benefits provided full-time employees.

 

How Many Hours Can An Intern Work:

Interns can be asked to work up to 40 hours per week.  Whether they work 10 or 40 hours per week depends on the requirement you establish.   It can be on a part-time or full-time basis.  The days they work will be based on what you've arranged based on the Intern's schedule.



How Long Is The Average Internships:

Internships can last from 3-9 months continuously.  The length of the internship is established by the employer.

 

Do You Have To Offer Academic Credit:

No.  You do not have to offer academic credit to interns.  If you wish to offer academic credit to interns you have to work with the university staff to find out what their specific requirements are.  They will provide you with the details on what you need to do in order to setup a credit program.

 

When Is The Best Time To Hire Interns:

You can hire an intern at anytime during the academic year but, the best time to hire Interns is between the end and the start of the academic semister.  During the summer break (May-August) and spring break (January-April) are ideal times. 

 

Can Youth Be Hired As Interns:

Yes.  Youth 14 years and above can be hired as interns.  Visit the Hiring Youth page to learn more.

 

Can Foreign Students Be Hired As Interns:

Yes.  However, there are strict conditions under which foreign students can be hired as interns.  Foreign students can be hired under the Cirricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs.  The approval process and paperwork involved under these programs makes it a bit more challenging to hire foreign students as interns.  Visit the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) website to learn more about the specific programs.

 

What Is The Process For Establishing An Internship Program:

- Determine What Your Needs Are
- Convince the rest of your organization to go along
- Identify & research the School(s) you want to work with
- Familiarize yourself with any legal issues regarding interns
- Identify if you are offering for credit or a no-credit program
- Develop a compensation plan for the interns
- Create position descriptions
- Create work plans
- Hire intern(s)
- Execute the internship plan
- Intern Evaluation
- Exit Interview
- Employer Evaluation

 

What Is The Best Way To Go About Establishing An Internship Program:

The best way to establish your internship program is to check with a school near you and find out what programs they have in place to assist employers in establishing an internship program.  Most schools already have internship guidelines established that employers can easily follow to setup their program and start hiring interns.  Go here to find a list of schools with programs.

Use these resources to find universities/colleges in the U.S.
- Education
- UTexas
- 50States.com
- Collegestats.org

These are some great examples of what an Internship Program looks like.  Use them as a model to develop your own internship program.

University of South Florida at St. Petersberg (USFSP)

Nebraska Department of Economic Development

University of Texas at San Antonio (USTA)

Michigan Internship Initiative

 

Where Are Internship Positions Posted:

Internship positions can be posted on school campuses, school websites, 3rd party job boards (see examples below).  If you're establishing your program with a specific school post your internship opening on their campus and website.  Use 3rd party job boards if you're trying to reach a wider audience.

 
Barefoot Student USA
CEI Internships
College Recruiter
Experience
Foothill College
Idealist
Indeed
Intern Solutions
Job Monkey
Monster College
Out For Work
Smart Recruits