What is an Internship?
An Internship is a highly structured, time-limited, Career Preparation activity in which students are placed at a worksite to participate in and observe work first hand. Internships provide students the opportunity to learn by doing real work and being productively engaged in the workplace. They may provide the opportunity to work in teams, work on a project, or rotate through a number of departments and job functions.
Sustaining and growing Internships and all other work-based learning activities depend on maintaining positive relationships with the employers who are providing opportunities. These employers should be treated as valued customers and partners with frequent check-ins to address participation needs as they arise.
Internships are designed to:
- Promote hands-on experience in a field of interest.
- Provide productive value for the employer.
- Provide exposure to a wide range of careers and jobs within the industry.
- Offer opportunities to develop, practice and demonstrate employability skills.
- Build occupational knowledge.
- Create awareness of the education needed to be successful in the industry.
Internships are structured to:
- Enhance workplace knowledge and career awareness.
- Help build the skills required for specific occupations.
- Expose students to a wide spectrum of workplace activities.
- Support key academic concepts, as well as technical and occupational skills development.
Internships are supported by:
- Student preparation in the classroom.
- Internship design with the employer partner.
- Employer host orientation and ongoing troubleshooting.
- Multiple opportunities for reflection on the experience, both verbally and in writing.
- Employer assessment of skills acquisition.
Internships are connected to:
- Classroom learning.
- Individual career development/training plans.
- A sequence of educational, training and workplace activities.
- The student’s next steps.
Internships take place for a minimum of 30 hours with more hours being optimal. The first 30 must be unpaid, depending on whether the student is performing productive work for the employer and other factors, a student may be eligible for hire after the initial 30 hours.
Internships are one activity in the continuum of authentic work-based experiences provided to all students engaged in career-related programs or courses of study.
MENTOR TIP SHEET
Internships provide a direct benefit to the employer and give students the opportunity to learn by doing real work and being productively engaged in the workplace. Interns may work individually, in teams, work on a project, or rotate through a number of departments and job functions.
Before the Internship
- Review the informational packet provided by Vineyard Academy.
- Inform other staff that an intern will be at the workplace.
- Agree to a meet and greet with the intern.
- Identify tasks the student(s) can perform safely and others they might only observe.
During the Internship
- Provide a workplace orientation for the intern.
- Consider ways the intern can develop employability skills and be exposed to a range of careers in your industry.
- Identify opportunities that will support the intern’s academic, occupational and employability skill development and assist the intern in working toward learning objectives.
- Think about ways you can serve as both a coach and supervisor.
- Communicate successes and opportunities to the coordinator that can be used to enhance the value of classroom connections.