Paid Internships for Everyone: Expanding opportunities for students

and employers through a funded,

multidisciplinary internship program

MPACE 2017 Annual Conference

Elizabeth Loun

University of Nevada Career Studio

Developing a program, including goal-setting, employer selection,

eligibility, and logistics

Promotion and Student Application

Selection and Orientation

The internships, including deliverables and assessment

Evaluation, including feedback and data

What we’ve learned, how we have adapted the program

Time to answer questions

What to expect in today’s session

Setting the Stage

The Value of Internships

Internships bridge the gap between the classroom and the

real world. Both sides benefit:

Students can test drive careers, build skills and networks

Employers can trial potential employees, utilize temporary help for

projects or busy season

“Employers cited experiences gained from internships as among the

top reasons for hiring a grad — more important than a student’s major,

university or grade point average.”

(American Public Media and the Chronicle of Higher Education, 2013)

Not all students have equal access to paid internship opportunities

-Socioeconomic status, areas of interest

Not all organizations can fund internships

-but often these very organizations can offer rigorous, diverse

experiences (nonprofit, startup)

A Funded Internship Program…

Cultivating the University Town. Reducing Brain Drain

Provides a pipeline of college-educated talent to companies,

nonprofits, and public agencies

Stems the outflow of talent from Reno, contributing to the

economic development of the region

Helps students develop the skills and qualifications that area

employers seek

Helps incentivize businesses to open in the region

…in Reno

Career Studio Partnership with

Associated Students of University of Nevada

• Shared strategic goals

• $30,000 first-time funding

• Guaranteed in statute

• Approved by ASUN Student Senate

• A joint venture between students and Career Studio

Goal Setting

Connecting Talent with Opportunity

Cultivating the University Town

Students Employers

University Community

Program Goals

Program Goals

• Gain access to paid, standards-based internships with local

businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies

• Develop and apply professional competencies in a field related to

an academic course of study

• Connect with professionals, mentors, and peers to begin

developing a local professional network

Student Goals

Program Goals

• Create high quality, paid internships aligned with rigorous student

learning outcomes

• Gain access to talented pre-graduates with professional interest in

the field

• Foster relationships with the University to develop sustainable

pipelines of talent

Employer Goals

Program Goals

• Strengthen the University’s ties with the local business community

• Expand co-curricular opportunities for undergraduate students,

aligned with the University’s strategic missions of “Learning” and

“Engagement”

• Bolster the University’s reputation as a source of talented early

professionals and a partner in regional workforce development

University Goals

Program Goals

• Facilitate a pipeline of University-educated talent into local

businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies

• Help stem the outflow of college-educated talent from the Greater

Reno-Sparks-Tahoe region

• Facilitate Reno’s development as a “University Town”

Community Goals

Pack Internship Grant Program

Pack Internship Grant Program

• Assists business and nonprofit leaders in developing substantive

internship opportunities for Nevada students

• Work with businesses to create a new internship program or

renovate an existing internship to ensure a mutually beneficial

professional experience

• Funds student wages at $12/hour for 120 hours during the spring

semester

• Supported program for students and employers

Best Practices:

• Intern orientation, on-site mentoring, and targeted skills

development

• Flexible scheduling that respects students’ academic commitments

• Internship Site visits from Career Studio staff

• Formal showcase for interns’ accomplishments

• Internships should be paid, educational, and advertised openly

Pack Internship Grant Program

In 3 years, over 1,800 student applications

received, 133 interns selected and 91 employers

participated

Pack Internship Grant Program

Named “Workforce Catalyst of the Year” in 2015

by Economic Development Association of

Western Nevada

Pack Internship Grant Program

Implementation

• Establish partners, conduct initial site visits

Program DevelopmentJune - August

• Program information is shared on campus, applications open

PromotionSeptember - October

• Applications received and reviewed, offers made, program orientation

Selection & OrientationNovember – December

• Interns complete 120 hours at internship site with support and reporting throughout semester

InternshipsJanuary – April

• End of semester poster showcase, data assessment

Reception & EvaluationMay

Program Timeline

Program Development

Is there a diversity of internship sites and job experiences?

• Something for everyone

Will this site provide a rigorous learning opportunity?

• Supervisor support, emerging industry?

Is this a strategic partner for the University?

• Consider new to area or high volume employers

Does the organization have a need for this support?

• Nonprofits, public agencies, new businesses

Where there are gaps, outreach is conducted

Selecting Community Partners. Application & Outreach

Interested Employers complete online Application

Applications are evaluated, site visits scheduled.

Co-developing learning-based internships

• Job descriptions submitted electronically by organizations

• Organization includes Required and Preferred Qualifications

• Required qualifications should be as broad or multidisciplinary as

possible

• Career Studio collaborates with employers to develop specific

learning outcomes

• Resulted in mutually beneficial, substantive experiences

proportionate with above-minimum compensation levels ($12/hr

vs. $8-10/hr)

Program Development

Risk Assessment

Legal Considerations

Term

Expectations

(University & Site)

FundingStatus of Student

Insurance

Contact University risk assessment office

Conduct site visits with new partners, assessing workplace risks,

discussing expectations

Check with University legal counsel on existing policy

Student Agreements

Site Agreements should delineate:

Program Development

On campus advertising with start of fall semester (in partnership

with Associated Students)

Targeted Outreach to students and faculty

Information Sessions

Social Media engagement

with employer partners

Promotion & Application

Students apply through Handshake

Resume, Cover Letter, Transcript, 3 Short Answers

Students encouraged to apply to multiple positions

Career Studio pre-screens for eligibility:

2.75 GPA, complete application, undergraduate

Students do need to be full-time (30 to Complete)

Promotion & Application

Employers receive eligible applicant packages, selection

instructions & deadline. They interview and offer to the

candidate of their choice.

Please review all applications.

Interview several candidates.

Carefully consider each candidate’s story.

You may hire more than one!

Offer to the student(s) of your choice.

Selection & Orientation

All students receive follow up

Interns scheduled for mandatory program orientation with Career

Studio:

-Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Training

-Program Expectations and Deliverables

Timeline, assessments, timesheet, journal, poster

-Paperwork

-Academic Credit (must be full-time)

Selection & Orientation

Interns set schedule, work 8-10 hours/week

Spring semester: Capped at 15 hours, finish end of April

Mid-semester site visit

Assessment taking place throughout

Experience culminates with Poster Reception

Internships

Pre Assessment

• Skills evaluation (together)

• Self-evaluation (intern)

Mid Assessment

• Internship evaluations (intern and supervisor)

• Site visits

Post Assessment

• Skills evaluation (intern)

• Self-evaluation (intern)

• Internship evaluations (intern and supervisor)

• Journal reflections (intern)

Final Assessment

• Poster presentation (intern)

To evaluate Student Learning Outcomes and Program Goals

4 Phases of Evaluation

Students will improve by at least one unit in the skill development rubric in two of the three skills that the student and supervisor identify as priorities

Students will identify two instances in which they applied knowledge learned in the classroom to solve real, professional problems encountered in the internship

Students will analyze professional growth and identify at least one area for further growth, reflecting on self-knowledge gained through the internship experience

Students will develop connections with professionals in a field of interest, reporting a greater sense of connection to a professional network from the beginning to the end of the internship

Students will evaluate and clarify individual career goals through reflection on the internship experience

Student Learning Outcomes

Student satisfaction with the internship program

Student satisfaction with the supervisor’s guidance and support

Supervisor satisfaction with the internship program

Supervisor satisfaction with the intern’s performance

Quality of internship sites and experiences

Program Outcomes

Students create posters with photos, reflections, and accomplishments

2 hour Open House: evening with hors d'oeuvres; invited supervisors, business & campus community, friends and family

Poster Reception

Internship SiteIntern’s Name

Skills and

ResponsibilitiesWrite a paragraph about

the following:

What were your primary

responsibilities?

What skills were you

working on building

through this

experience?

ReflectionsWrite 1-2 paragraphs (at least 6 sentences) about

any or all of the following:

What were the most positive aspects of your

internship? What tasks or experiences did you

enjoy most, and why?

What transferrable skills did you gain during this

experience?

What did you learn?

What is an area for continued growth and

development for you?

AccomplishmentsMake a list (or better yet, bullet

points for your resume!) including

the following:

What projects did you complete?

What did you contribute to the

organization?

PhotoPhoto of you at work. Preferably working on

a project or event, not just sitting at a desk– if

your work is strictly desk-based, however, that

works too! Photos must be at least 300 dpi.

Please do not just use company logos,

plan on getting at least one picture of

yourself at your internship, even if it is a

selfie. In addition to this photo, you may

replace one other section with a second photo

if you would like.

Future PlansWrite 1-2 paragraphs (at least 4 sentences) about

any or all of the following:

What career field were you exploring during this

internship?

How has this internship affected your interest in the

field?

What is your next step toward reaching your career

goals? (Another internship? Applying to jobs?

Graduate school? In what field(s)? Details!)

Alixzandra

CollaroMarketing and Sales Intern

Skills and ResponsibilitiesI am the Marketing and Sales Intern for

Tahoe Trail Bar, a local energy bar

company based here in Reno, Nevada.

My primary responsibilities range from

creating marketing materials (fliers,

website updates, surveys, etc.), to going

on sales loops in Lake Tahoe, to doing

sales calls, to working races, and

completing administrative tasks.

The skills I am working on building during

this internship range from expanding my

design skills, to learning sales, to gaining

exposure working with the CEO.

ReflectionsThe most positive aspect of my internship was seeing my efforts

make a tangible difference in the company. My favorite task

were creating the newsletter because I have a passion for

making marketing pieces that effectively reflect a

brand/company.

The transferable skills I learned at this internship were new sales

techniques. I was able to understand how important relationships

are in sales. I learned how a small business maintains its sales

pipeline and how much effort one person puts into their company.

The areas I can continue to grow are my design skills and my

sales skills. I believe that I can continously improve upon these

attributes because it is important in marketing to keep up with

current trends and changes.

Accomplishments•Completed Social and Website Audit of all marketing messages

•Created a marketing newsletter to update

customers on current events

•Maintained sales loops for major grocery

accounts

•Executed vendor sales flier to increase sales

by 20%

Future PlansThe career field I was exploring during this internship was

energy bar marketing and small business functionality. I still

have a very strong interest in marketing and plan to pursue that

career field. My eyes have been opened to the product market

and sales field which I would consider to come back for the

future if my career led me that direction.

I graduate this May of 2016 and plan pursuing an internship

with Southwest Airlines or with Disney. Currently, I am

applying for and searching for a career after college and I

would prefer to move away from Reno and work for a big

corporation. If I cannot find a marketing job outside of Reno, I

plan to stay for a two plus years to build my experience.

Inputs Outputs ReflectionsAccomplishments/Skills

Planning, organization and implementation of Docker container instances for Azure-CLI, OpenDroneMaps, and Geoserver

• JPEG pictures collected by drone during flight.

• Pictures processed and organized by NVD

software/API.

• Pictures stored in NVD cloud management

software called Azure.

• Create a Docker instance that contains the Azure-

CLI.• Create a Docker instance

that contains the OpenDroneMap

software.• Create a Docker instance

that contains the GeoServer cloud storage

software.

• Create Docker data volumes to allow inter-

container data transport.

Borzuyeh Peter Rahmanifar, Pack Internship Grant Program, May 2, 2016

Short-Term Impact Long-Term Impact• This internship allowed me to really

experience the production of cloud

management software.

• Docker is one of the most desired skills in

software devaccording to ACM.

• The experiences from my internship is not included in regular

coursework.

• I really enjoyed working with an

innovative group of guys who helped me grow as a developer.

• I was able to learn how to deploy

Docker which is a vital skill in today’s

software development environment.

• I learned the importance of research and investigation.

• Social interaction with coworkers will

help me be more marketable to future

employers.

• During this internship, I was exploring how

software development occurs

in a real work environment.

• Real word hands on experience is

invaluable for a entry-level software

engineer.

• Learn scheduling of data transportation with

Azure messaging queue.

Future Plans

• This internship has made me really look

forward to graduating and working in my

career.

• I have been interviewing with many companies

who have inquired about my

experiences at NVD.• I will be definitely be

pursuing these interviews and will

hopefully be creating software soon!!

More than 750 applications were received from students representing

all academic colleges; increases in CLA, CABNR

Half of the students who completed an internship are continuing work

with their employer beyond the 120 hour internship

98% of interns gained professional skills AND feel more prepared to

enter the workforce

98% of Pack Interns would recommend the program to other students

Student Participants: 2017

“The most positive

aspects of this

internship were being

able to have real-world

and hands-on

experience in such a

large organization.”

“This was such a great

opportunity and I am so

happy I took the leap and

applied. It has shaped my

semester for sure and

probably my whole career.

The people have been

amazing all throughout and I

am so grateful for all of it.”

“[My supervisors]

were amazing,

awesome, fun,

willing to teach,

willing to learn,

and just generally

awe inspiring.”

“I learned a great

deal about [my

field of interest]

and met many

people who have

taught me so

much.”

Student Feedback

First Generation Students*:

*based on self-reported data only available from applicants who completed

the FAFSA

21% of applicants were first generation students

16.7% of interns were first generation students

11.7% of interns were first generation low income

students

Of the first generation students who were interns, 70%

were First Generation Low Income

First Generation Students

60 internships include:

24 positions with non-profit organizations

15 positions with public agencies (up from 4 in 2016)

21 positions with start-ups/small businesses

“Great experience. Our clients (and our staff) greatly value having UNR interns to assist us with our

projects.”

“[The Pack Internship program] allows the City to connect with students and to let them know what

we do on a daily basis. It is invaluable as a tool to find new talent and new perspectives on our

ever-changing city.”

“It's a great way to employ a student and could lead to an agency hiring the student for a longer

term.”

“It's a great experience both for the student and for the organization. Practice for the student to

become a professional and explore his/her interests and practice for the organization to train and

teach someone new.”

Employer Participants: 2017

Year 1

• 12 employer partners

• 21 internships

Year 2

• 34 unique partners

• 52 internships

• 8 self-funded

• Hired graduate assistant

Year 3

• 45 unique partners

• 60 internships

• 12 self-funded

• Graduate Assistant

• Self-funding required for 3x participants

In the past 2 years, over 50% of Pack Interns have been extended by their

employers beyond the 120 hours, and at least 14 have received full-time permanent

offers as a result of their internships

By The Numbers

Considerations for the Future

Explore alternate methods of funding

Increase participation/selection of under-represented groups

Manage employer selection/participation with more requests than

funding

Limit student participation?

Scalability with staff size

Leveraging strengthened partnerships: other opportunities for

students? More apps than openings

Questions?

Elizabeth Loun

Associate Director

Employer Relations & Internships

Nevada Career Studio

eloun@unr.edu