Experiential Education in WNY
(Internships and Co-ops)

A collaboration between The Buffalo Niagara Partnership & WNYACCC

For a detailed list of who to contact at each WNY college/university for interns or co-op students, visit the "Internship/Co-op Breakdown"

Part 1 - Frequently Asked Questions

A. Why Have an Intern?

To answer the question, Why should the business use interns?... four areas of consideration need to be addressed.

1. The product:

Intern programs provide businesses with enthusiastic talent they probably would have difficulty attracting elsewhere. Interns in the 3rd or 4th year of college are generally well versed in personal computers and Internet usage. That experience usually translates well to project oriented work and research related assignments. In addition, using an intern allows you to compare business practices with what is taught in Academia. The interns ask questions that might allow you to re-evaluate your business process and discover a new or better way.

2. Positioning:

Interns can provide assistance in peak workload period or complete an important project that you haven't had the resources to address. Interns can be prescreened and selected to meet the specific educational needs of the project or work the business requires. The short term project could develop into a relationship with a potential future employee. Hiring an experienced intern will also significantly reduce the time and cost needed to hire from the outside.

3. Placement:

Interns are locally available and are generally flexible in work hours and work time. Hiring local students as interns is a good mechanism to keep the best local college talent in Buffalo after graduation.

4. Price:

Intern programs range from non-paid to paid. Hiring an experienced intern with a good performance record with your company will significantly reduce your recruitment and training costs.

What is Experiential Education? It can come in many forms. In its most common form, it is an experience that is related somehow to more formal "in-class" education. It is an important part of many high school and college experiences. The value is that you can gain practical experience, which, when accompanied by the kind of theoretical knowledge you have gained in the classroom, gives you a more three dimensional understanding of the work. What forms can it take? These experiences come under various labels some used almost interchangeably. These programs would include:

Apprenticeship

Usually associated with the skilled trades, an apprenticeship is a form of on the job training. The apprentice works with a skilled veteran craftsman for a period of time, after which they become a fully functional tradesman.

Internships

An internship is usually a one-time work experience done by a student who is at least at the high school level. Many interns are in college and have taken some coursework that is related to the field. The intern works in a professional setting under the supervision of at least one practicing professional for a period of around three - four months (or one college semester). This may be a credit bearing experience for the student's academic program or it may not. Some companies pay interns while others do not.

Cooperative Education
(Co-op)

There are a variety of definitions for "Co-op" depending on the individual school's program. Usually these student s are enrolled in college, and have accumulated a significant number of credit hours in their major academic study area. The co-op involves work assignments that are related to the student's academic and career interests. Co-op students are almost always paid, and earn academic credit. In most cases, the student refrains from taking classes for a semester while they work at their co-op placement. In some cases, the student continues to take classes while they work part-time. In most cases, the student works and learns in alternating cycles. Ask each school you collaborate with for their own definition.

Service Learning

Service learning is a term used to describe what is usually a component of an individual academic class. The idea is to augment the academic content of a class with practical experience. Service learning does not involve pay, and is usually arranged at a not for profit organization. Supervision is not often a major component of service learning.

Practicum

A practicum is similar to service learning, as it usually does not offer pay, and usually is completed as part of an academic class. Most practicum experiences are centered on human service occupations (Social Work, Counseling).

Student Teaching

In order to complete a degree in education it is necessary to first demonstrate competency in the area of teaching. To that end, students are placed in a classroom setting where an experienced teacher supervises them. The supervising teacher observes the student teacher in the preparation and delivery of classroom presentations and lesson plans. These are rarely if ever paid experiences, however they do receive academic credit.

Volunteer Experiences

For the most part, the experiences described above are all associated with a structured academic setting. Many individuals arrange practical work experiences on their own as well. The volunteer experience can be very flexible. Depending upon the employ's need and the volunteer's availability, this may involve a full time commitment for several weeks, or it may involve the volunteer coming to help out when they can.

Project Work

Rather than taking on one or two students to perform a function, you may whish to have a team of students work on a particular project. These can range from software application design, to an advertising or direct mail campaign. It could be a detailed market analysis or an overhaul of accounting procedures.

C. To Pay or Not to Pay? How Much? Credit vs. Non-Credit?

Students who participate in experiential education will seek value from that experience. That value can come in one of three ways:

Earning money

Earning credit

Gaining experience

Ideally, from the student's perspective, they will receive value in all three ways. Obviously many students become involved in experiential education for the experience alone. Equally obvious is that the student will seek out the experience that provides them with the most value.

Questions of liability should be raised with your attorneys. Generally speaking, if you agree to take on an intern you are considered responsible to provide the intern with a reasonably safe environment, adequate supervision, and the necessary tools and equipment to perform the intended services.

The time frame for securing a student will vary from institution to institution. It is advisable however, to contact the institution(s) at least 2-3 months before the beginning of the semester if you want to have a student that semester. Semesters generally begin in September, January and late May.

Most employers agree to take on interns because students provide fresh ideas and hard work for little or no pay. However, the internship should be a learning experience for the students/inters as well. The structure of the internship will depend on the employers' needs and the interns' abilities. Ideally, the employer will begin by evaluating whether the company has the resources to offer a challenging experience. Employers should then decide on what projects need to be accomplished, who would supervise, and what type of candidates they need. After advertising, holding interviews and choosing candidates, the supervisor orients them to their new environment.

Essential in the orientation process are appropriate training and the creation of an action plan with an intern. This plan should be based on what each intern would like to learn as well as the actual projects that should be completed. Interns should spend time with professionals (as opposed to just other interns), they should meet people throughout the company, and go on client visits to see the whole process of the business.

Continual evaluation of the interns' work is necessary, and providing timely, descriptive feedback allows the interns to grow and improve. Supervisors need to determine if the intern is being appropriately challenged, and if the assigned work allows them to reach their educational goals. After the internship is complete, a final evaluation of the experience should be conducted, but not just of the intern, but also of the employer.

When deciding what kind of experience to offer interns, reflect on how your company chooses new-hires. What experiences would you like to see in your professional candidates? Interns at your company should have a chance to have these experiences and prove their abilities. The internship can be the ideal training ground for an up-and-coming employee, hence, streamlining your recruitment and training processes.

Advertising an internship opportunity to students will vary at each college or university. In most cases, the best strategy is to start by contacting the career services office at prospective colleges or universities. Career services professionals can assist in promoting the opportunity to students on their campus as well as in forwarding information to the appropriate academic departments. You can see contacts at each school in our Directory.

Prepare a job description and be sure to include the required duties, skills, knowledge, abilities, work hours, and rate of pay if applicable. The job description, an important marketing tool, will also be forwarded to faculty for credit approval. It is also useful to send company literature, annual report and web site address to attract potential interns researching and evaluating opportunities. Conducting an on-campus information session and advertising in campus newspapers are other effective approaches to promote the opportunity.

Are you ready to submit an internship opening? You can fill out this College Employment Connection form and your posting will be sent to all the schools you request!