STEM Internship Program
Employer Workshop
This publication/event was developed with the support of a Hispanic Serving Institution STEM and Articulation
Program from the U.S. Department of Education.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
BY
Dr. Paul Murphy
Dean, Academic Affairs
Director, HSI STEM and Articulation Grant
Thank You to our Sponsors!
This program would not have happened without the
generosity of our sponsors.
Put Sponsor
Logo here!
Workshop Goals
 Define Internship
 What is HSI STEM?
 How are we different from other programs on campus?
 What to consider when designing your internship
program.
 Program Logistics – How does this work?
 Internship Timeline
An Internship:
 Is a time-limited experience that can range from one
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month to one year, but usually lasts about three months.
Includes an intentional “learning plan” that is structured
into the experience.
Promotes academic, career and/or personal development.
Typically includes learning objectives, observations,
reflections, evaluation and assessment.
Balances the intern’s learning goals with the specific work
the organization needs completed.
May be part-time or full-time.
Has an existing employee working in the
department/position to mentor and supervise the intern.
Who We Are
HSI STEM:
 Umbrella for all support
services and resources for
STEM Major/Transfer students
 MESA, Bridges to the
Baccalaureate, STEM Transfer
Program, Enology/Viticulture
and Industrial &
Manufacturing Technology
Career/Job Placement Center
(CJPC):
 Career Assessment Testing
 Job Placement Services
Career Technical Education
(CTE):
 AA/AS degree Programs
 Certificated Programs
Cooperative Work Experience
(CWE):
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CWE 149, CWE 302
Must be working
Earn up to 3 units per semester
16 unit maximum
Earn units toward major
Designing Your Internship Program
 Understanding your organization and its needs
 Giving your internship purpose
 What type of work does an intern expect?
 Choosing the right length and type of internship
 Creating an internship job description
 Providing compensation
Recruiting and Hiring Your Intern
AHC does the Recruiting!
 Career Fairs
 Faculty Referrals
 Online Job Postings
 Postings in Print
 Announcements via social
media
You do the Hiring!
 Evaluating resumes and
applications
 What to consider
 The interview process
 The rejection
 We Want You!
Making the Most of the Internship Program
 Orientation
 Training and Supervision
 Activities Beyond Work Tasks
 Working with College Students
Expectations
Your
Company
Language
HSI STEM
AJ
MESA
BTTB
CTE
CWE
RVT
CVMA
ITT
ECE
BOG
DSPS
FT
CADD
G.M.A.W.
EMS
LVN
RN
RCA
CBOT
CNC
CAD
CAM
SEP
FTES
FSN
T.I.G
LAP
IT
CTEC
ACT
CBIS
SBEC
CAN
CARE
EOPS
TRIO
CRN
FCS
Student Readiness
 Advising & building internships into
the student education plan
 Talking in terms of level, not years
 Appropriate terms for interning
 2nd summer – emerging/solid sophomore
 3rd &/or last summer – concluding
sophomore/transfer ready (entering junior)
Expected Academic Achievement
 Emerging/Solid Sophomores:
 Basic communications skills: writing (composition, technical), critical thinking,
and oral
 One year of Calculus and possibly Linear Algebra/Differential Equations
 One year of General Chemistry
 Most Engineering Physics (or well underway)
 Material Science (Engineering majors)
 Cellular Biology (Life Science majors)
 Transfer ready add:
 Electrical circuits (Engineering majors)
 Strengths of materials (Engineering majors)
 Statics and Dynamics (Engineering majors)
 Mat Lab (Engineering majors)
 Botany (Life Science majors)
 Zoology (Life Science majors)
 Organic chemistry (Life Science majors)
Diverse Applicant Pool
 Average age
 Ethnicity
 Life experienced vs. traditional student
 Confidence levels
 Professional preparation
 Community loyalty
 Family demands and support
 Geographic limitations
 Have had a strong STEM support system at AHC
Evaluating Your Intern and Program
 Creating and building a successful internship program
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is just the beginning.
Evaluating your internship program on a regular basis
will make it more effective.
Provide informal evaluations throughout the
internship.
Provide formal mid-term and final evaluation.
What if an Internship is not working out?
Internship Timeline
 Feb 18:
Employer-prepared internship job description due
 March 24th: Student resumes due & Employers begin review
 April:
Employer-scheduled student interviews
 May:
Internship offers & rejections distributed
 May 21st:
Last day of school
 June:
Internships begin
 After the initial start of the program, the schedule is 100% flexible.
 As long as the intern is an AHC student, we ask for continued
involvement with our evaluation process.
Program Break
Please return at 11:10
Thank you!
Why Offer an Internship Program
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Rising labor costs
Gaining fresh perspectives
Discovering future business leaders
Helping to increase Persistence Rates of students seeking undergraduate
degrees
STEM students are more likely to persevere in their field of study, after
participating in an internship program.
A year round source of highly motivated pre-professionals
College students are qualified candidates that can fill both entry-level and
special skills set needs.
Interns can help with projects and reduce workload
A flexible, cost-effective work force that does not require a long-term
employment commitment
Provide freedom for professional staff to pursue creative or more advanced
projects
A proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees
Welcome to the STEM Industry
Leaders “Open” Discussion Panel
Panelists
List names and organizations they represent here.
 What do you believe AHC Faculty and Staff need to
know to help our students prepare for internships?
 What qualities do you believe students need to
develop more, to be competitive in STEM internships
and the industry in general?
 21st Century Skills (soft skills) is a growing debate
amongst STEM industries in terms of student
applicants. What are your opinions regarding the
development of soft skills and how do you recommend
Faculty and Staff support these developments?
 What do you predict are the 3 most important changes
to the STEM industry that will affect students
pursuing internships?
 Describe the best intern you have ever worked with.
What experiences did they have? What qualities or 21st
Century skills did they exhibit? What was the most
important quality they brought with them to the
internship?
 What’s one or two things you wish you had learned
prior to starting your STEM career?
 What specific AHC laboratory experiences (equipment
knowledge; skills, etc.) can AHC instructors provide to
make students highly marketable for both an
internship and job market?
 How do we support female students’ educational
concerns and maintain female interest in STEM?