Transcript Cooperative Education

Student
School
Community
Cooperative Education
Michelle Schraudner
MSU Billings Career Services
What is
Cooperative
Education?
Includes info about
educational value and
requirements, student
interns, and previous
intern employers
How to build a
successful
internship
program
Where to start, what to
expect, how to deal
with the unexpected
“What do I pay
my intern?
FLSA regulations, paid
vs unpaid, what to pay
How to find
great interns
Career Services,
networking, student
and faculty outreach
What is Cooperative Education?
▪ Cooperative Education (Co-Op)
internships create educational
partnerships among Montana State
University Billings, the business
community, and students.
▪ This allows students to earn
academic credit, and often a wage,
while combining classroom
learning with practical work
experience.
Faculty supervisor Gary Amundson
with intern Bridget F.
Spring 2014 at Global Village
Co-op: Students
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Student Interns
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015 (in progress)
Co-op: University and Students
MSUB tracks co-op
intern learning through
student-written Learning
Goals/Outcomes
most common
goals sheet
Co-op: University
Learning Goals and Outcomes:
▪ Provide an objective means to evaluate the educational
quality of an internship
▪ Give students an opportunity to reflect on their
previous studies and see how that knowledge can apply
to real-world situations
▪ Provide both the employer, faculty member, and
student a jumping point to discuss expectations and
duties throughout the internship
Co-op: University
Final evaluations:
▪ Give students, faculty, and employers a chance to
reflect on experience
▪ Help MSUB ensure internships are educational and
successful
– Both positive feedback and constructive criticism are
valuable and necessary to the process
▪ Provide nominee pool for Intern of the Year award
Co-op: Students
▪ Last year MSUB students earned 811 credits from internships.
▪ That resulted in approximately 45 undergrad FTEs and 17 graduate FTEs.
Number of
credits
Hours required
(minimum)
Average hours
per week
1
45
3
2
90
6
3
135
9
4
180
12
Why do students do internships?
Some are required by their
programs. These programs
include:
Other reasons include:
▪ Human Services
▪ Resume-building
▪ Rehab
▪ Test-drive a career before
graduation
▪ Criminal Justice
▪ Mass Communication
▪ Real-world experience
▪ Networking
▪ Increase likelihood of finding a
job quickly
Co-op: Employers and Students
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Job Offers
2011-2012
2012-2013 (Summer and Fall 2012)
2013-2014
2014-2015 (in progress)
Why did you hire MSUB interns?
“April is very mature for her age and well on her
way to being an outstanding professional in our
community. She learns quickly, applies herself,
uses good judgment and is incredibly
compassionate. April is going to be someone we
are hearing about in the professional world in the
not too distant future.”
“Andy was my right hand for the [name of
fundraiser] for the [company] event. It was my first
year of spearheading the event, and Andy was at
the ready to help every step of the way. Whether it
was coming in on time, staying a few extra hours
later to finish a project, having valuable input with
the committee, or just being at the ready for
whatever was next on the agenda, Andy was
reliable at every turn. This semester required a high
level of quality work and initiative, and the
Internship itself would not have worked out with
someone who lacked those qualities.”
How to build a
successful internship
program
Creating an internship program
▪ Write a well thought-out job description
– Include major projects and expectations, as well as day-to-day duties
▪ Ensure the experience will be educational
– MSUB’s 20% rule helps with this
▪ Have a dedicated internship supervisor
▪ Pay interns fairly (and legally) for their work
– (more about this later)
The 20% rule
▪ No more than 20% of an intern’s time may be spent
on administrative tasks.
– This ensures a minimum of 80% of the intern’s time is
related to his/her career field
– The internship provides experience-based learning
– The intern now has plenty of time to work, learn, and
become useful to his/her employer
Plan for new experiences
Interns
Employers
Not used to office environment
Appropriate workload (fewer tasks
makes interns efficient)
Professional attire
Including intern in team
Professional communication (phone,
email, in person)
Providing educational experience
Co-op: Employers
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Employers
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015 (in progress)
Communication is key
▪ Who does the intern talk to if an issue arises or he/she
has a question about the work?
– Make this clear to the student on Day 1
– Who do you talk to if an issue arises?
▪ If appropriate, the intern.
▪ If you need additional help or an outside opinion, contact MSUB
Career Services and/or the student’s faculty supervisor. We’re
here to help and want to make this experience great for
everyone.
“What do I
pay my
intern?”
“What should I pay my intern?”
Student reaction to
unpaid internship posting
Student reaction to
paid internship posting
“What should I pay my intern?”
1. Follow Fair Labor Standards Act regulations (see FLSA
handout).
2. Pay above minimum wage.
3. Remember that the best candidates will be able to find
paid internships.
4. If you want a great candidate, be prepared to offer a
competitive wage.
Average Intern Hourly Pay
14
13.5
13
12.5
12
11.5
11
Average Pay
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015 (in progress)
How to find great interns
▪ Contact Career Services
– Stay in touch on social media
▪ Use university employer outreach programs
– These are often free!
▪ Attend career fairs
▪ Build connections with faculty members in your field
– Class presentations, club meetings, social media
▪ Reach out to students online
– CareerLink is a great, free resource
MSU Billings Career Services
657-2168
[email protected]
www.msubillings.edu/careers
www.facebook.com/
MSUBCareerServices
@MSUBCareerServ