Student Internship Program

After months of research and planning, local high schools are piloting quality Student Internship programs. Students will experience, first-hand, what it takes to be successful in the workplace as it becomes an additional classroom. The UVBEP can provide assistance to schools interested in piloting a similar program.

What is an internship?

Student internships are situations where students work for an employer for a specified period of time to learn about a particular industry or occupation. Student's workplace activities may include special projects, a sample of tasks from different jobs or tasks from a single occupation. Internships may be paid or unpaid.

Internships are supervised, structured work experiences that involve the practical application of previously studied theory for which school credit is awarded. Many times the internship is a required component of the program. Credit hours and the length of the internship as well as the intensity may vary depending on the course of study. There is a strong emphasis on coordination and integration between work site and classroom learning.

Benefits to students

• Develop work skills while earning school credit
• Gain practical skills in area of career interest
• Learn business terminology and protocol
• Make informed career decisions

Benefits to schools

• Offer students a more intense study of career area
• Allows for performance-based assessment of skill-level

Benefits to employers

• Develop potential pool of trained workers
• Students stay long enough to make productive contributions

Adapted from Vermont STW Workbased-Learning Manual