How To Design an Intern or Apprentice Program

What organizations need to consider when starting an intern program or apprenticeship.

What Does a Successful Program Need?

Intern and apprentice programs can be “meaningful” if they incorporate experiences that students can relate to and use. Working with students for essaywriterfree, I know that it is encouraging and supportive to interns, utilize an “employee-mentor” mindset, involve them in other projects such as meetings, and introduce them to other business contacts and opportunities.

There are several ways that organizations can ensure that the program is successful. A program should consider and include.

They are:

Giving the student work that is relevant or relates to their courses.
Promote an environment that lets the student have feedback or initiative. Fresh eyes and minds can provide comments or insight sometimes.
Provide the intern with duties close to what they may experience in the real job. This should include a certain level of responsibilities and tasks.
Give the student a mentor at the organization. Try to team them with someone who can give experience and guidance.
Think about giving them a large assignment or project. This allows them the ability to review, research and analyze their data. When they are done, this can be submitted as a proposal format or a presentation with their findings.
Invite them to company gatherings. This can include relevant meetings or even work-related social events. This helps them to feel like part of the team.
Introduce them or let them use business contacts to network.
Give clear program dates. Confirm how much time or hours they need and agree upon a start and stop date. Included should be set times and hours of work for a student. Typically, it is usually 10-20 hours per week.
All job expectations and times need to be reviewed before the start of the work and agreed upon in writing between the firm and the student.
At the end of the time, provide feedback and evaluation for the student, as well as the school. This can be written formally, or even done verbally. Also, ask for student comments or observations to help fine-tune the program.

How to Start the Program?

A job description should be made for the student. It should include the basic skills, knowledge, and abilities just like any other job would have. For example, essaywritingservice emphasizes the following skills to possibly include could be phone and messages, basic computer knowledge, and written/verbal communications. This helps to ensure a good match and that the intern can perform the basic tasks expected of them.

One basic and sometimes overlooked issue with interns is being prepared. The organization needs to have the above done before locating candidates so it does not waste either parties’ time or money. This includes a workstation or area. Interns will need to be given the basic supplies or tools to do the job they are asked for. All persons need to be organized and ready to work.

How To Locate the Interns?

A list of local vocational schools and colleges can be compiled. Many of these schools will post or coordinate potential interns meeting the job requirements. Upon completion of the contact information for the schools, an initial contact letter could be generated, along with a follow-up phone call to the appropriate person to see if further discussions could be pursued. Once an agreement was made, a written confirmation of employer expectations along with the schools would be made allowing the student to work at the job site.

With these types of resources, it will cost virtually no out-of-pocket expenses for the firm, other than some initial documentation and time. The main expense would be time by the person who would head up the project, which would best suit management or Human Resources.

Legal Issues to Consider

With all the pros, there are some legal items to think about and be aware of. Interns do not have to be paid as long as they meet the Department of Labor guidelines which state that interns can’t take the place of a regular staff member. The experts from writeanypapers.com state that interns are not promised a job at the end of their time, they receive training from the organization including hands-on experience, and their training benefits them most of all. As long as an intern meets the criteria, employers are not required to pay them a minimum wage. Both parties must agree upfront that the student will not receive any wages during their training and that the student will get credit for their training period.

Lastly, interns are entitled to rights, so it is important to treat an intern with the same respect and courtesy as any other employee. Interns cannot be discriminated against, and the organization must meet the same standards as regular employees.

Why Not?

Internship and apprentice programs have been around for many, many years. In more recent times it has increased in popularity due to the benefits for both employers and students alike. Designing an Effective Internship Program states that an employer survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers stated that 82.5% of them have internships along with, or a co-op type of program. Adopting this type of program for employers gives work experience to students, while also giving them increased productivity and a potential pool of qualified candidates. This program could be a true benefit for organizations, and a win-win for everyone.

You may also like:

What Does a Successful Program Need?

How to Start the Program?

How To Locate the Interns?

Legal Issues to Consider

Why Not?

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