PROJECT 5 REGIONAL CAREER AWARENESS AND EXPLORATION SYSTEM FIELD GUIDE

Transcription

1 PROJECT 5 REGIONAL CAREER AWARENESS AND EXPLORATION SYSTEM FIELD GUIDE

2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 3 THE REGIONAL SYSTEM... 5 PUTTING THINGS IN PLACE BEFORE YOU BEGIN... 8 CONFIGURING YOUR TEAM SECURING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BUSINESS READINESS DISTRICT READINESS SCHOOL READINESS STUDENT READINESS MAKING THE MATCH MEASURING THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE APPENDIX A POLICIES APPENDIX B CAREER EXPLORATION AND WORKPLACE LEARNING TOOLS APPENDIX C CREATING AN INTERNSHIP CLASS

3 INTRODUCTION The South King County STEM Network, in partnership with the Road Map Project of the Community Center for Education Results and with support from a Race to the Top Grant from the US Department of Education, is committed to preparing all students to be STEM literate. Incorporating real-world STEM learning experiences promotes youth engagement and career exploration. This field guide provides the first step in the development of Regional Career Awareness and Exploration System (RCAES) that will provide real-world, STEM work-based learning opportunities for all students within the seven districts of the Road Map region. Fluency in STEM subjects science, technology, engineering, and math and their practical application helps students understand the world around them in order to solve problems through critical thinking, discovery, and innovation. STEM literacy and facility with 21st Century Skills are increasingly important for students to realize their dreams, whether or not they aspire to pursue a STEM-based career. Whether or not the answer to the question, What do you want to be when you grow up? is teacher, journalist, computer programmer, or engineer, STEM needs to be part of a student s educational foundation. The goal of the RCAES is to equip students with increased knowledge and skills so they can make informed decisions about the education pathways for achieving their career goals. This will be done through such career exploration vehicles as internships, job shadowing, field trips, and the use of the appropriate online tools. This field guide will help schools and districts decide which elements will best serve their needs. Its emphasis is on internships and how the other elements can be organized to support the ultimate career exploration experience stepping into the world of work and getting your hands dirty. Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor, founders of the Big Picture Company network of schools where all students do multiple internships, put it this way: We emphasize internships because students learn best when they are deeply engaged in real-world projects, and because their lifelong success as workers and citizens depends on developing a passion for learning. The value of internships extends beyond the student s experience as the following demonstrates: Student acquires: Exposure and development of soft skills needed to be a productive member of any team or organization Exposure and development of industry-related skills relevant to the company and the student s interests Relevant examples of career pathways are available to them Accomplishment added early to a student s resume, which will give him/ her an advantage when seeking future career opportunities Salary/stipend and/or credit (optional) Company acquires: Managerial training for the employee who mentors an intern Increased employee satisfaction gained through volunteering Depending on the scope of projects available, some low (or high) risk tasks can be given to an intern and completed on behalf of the company An opportunity to practice corporate social responsibility Community acquires: Healthy economy with a pipeline of talent Attention to diversity and inclusion leading to a vibrant workforce and community A culture of career awareness that passes down generations The National Society for Experiential Education defines an internship as a carefully monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively what he or she is learning throughout the experience. 3

4 COLLEGE & CAREER EXPLORATION CONTINUUM Classroom Speaker Field Trip Job Shadow Mentor Unpaid Intership Paid Intership The range and distribution of college-and-career-ready activities and experiences could look like those on the table below which increase in number and grow more in-depth over time. By the time a student takes on an internship, probably in the senior year, he/she would be well prepared to make the real-world learning of being an intern more than that of just a part-time job. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL Career Day classroom speakers Interest surveys Research a career/report or presentation Field trips Classroom lessons at appropriate levels Interview family members/friends about their jobs Attend college fairs with a set of questions to be answered by reps from 3 colleges Attend career fairs with questions to be answered by 3 professionals Prepare a list of colleges of interest In-class lessons via Navigation 101 Identify career interests and do job shadows Skills inventories Complete High School and Beyond Plan in 8th grade Participate in an internship Attend college and career fairs with questions to be answered by 3 presenters Visit college campuses Prepare resumes Gather letters of recommendation Participate in mock interviews Take PSAT and SAT/ACT Apply to colleges Apply for scholarships Write personal statement/college essays Update High School and Beyond Plan each year The various experiences on the continuum are all ways of inspiring students to define and pursue their career goals. They all need to be surrounded by learning activities to help students process and reflect on what they are learning. Districts no doubt have relevant standards that will align with such activities. And as districts move into their integration of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), they will develop new standards that correspond to the CCSS College and Career Readiness anchor standards. This will serve teachers well by providing baseline standards for these experiences if such standards are not already in the system. Businesses who participate in career readiness experiences such as classroom visits, field trips, or job shadows will benefit from some direction by the district or school about how to make these experiences meaningful. When a teacher (or district) arranges for a field trip or a classroom visit from a professional, 4

5 the business needs to know about the classroom activities that will be done in preparation and how the experience will be debriefed. The participating students could write lists of questions they have and these could be forwarded to the business ahead of time. A job shadow is a more complex experience that definitely requires advance planning. Someone in the system needs to vet the situation and make sure necessary paperwork is done. The teacher will construct learning activities to be done before and after the shadow so that it is a meaningful learning experience and the employee who is being shadowed should know what those are. Timing and transportation are also issues. Structuring job shadows is a process that deserves its own guide. All of the above experiences can be tracked in the data system that will record the course of a student s career exploration as he/she approaches an internship. Overall, this field guide will prepare businesses, districts, schools, teachers, and students to participate in exciting internships. It will be the set of tools needed in the toolbox of internship experiences. A final thought comes from Dennis Littky: Students have to have an understanding of the world they have to be able to change on the dime. It s not just about the schoolhouse. 5

6 THE REGIONAL SYSTEM When an internship program is implemented throughout a region (which usually includes multiple school districts), the regional team plays more of a managerial, fiscal, and support effort on the part of the staff at the region level while the districts and schools manage the day to day work of the career exploration system. There are several advantages to a region-wide system: Economy of scale for staffing and materials Support for collaboration across school districts Support for sustainable partnerships with industry Ability to secure larger state or national level grants Ability to make small changes that positively impact thousands of students and hundreds of businesses Management from a regional perspective provides support for such activities as the following: Setting career awareness goals for the region Designing and developing the systems to manage the program Securing career exploration tools Creating and maintaining a website portal Training and technical support Connecting to community-based organizations that can support schools with student readiness activities Building relationships with businesses and inviting them into the program Creating and managing student, business, and educator readiness programs Communications and marketing To best support the development of the regional system, a steering committee of key stakeholders should be formed. This steering committee provides support and guidance for the regional collective on such issues as: The nature of the real-world, student career exploration experience Recommendations for criteria for student participation in the student career exploration experience Connections to business and industry leaders interested in offering student career exploration opportunities Opportunities for partnerships with community-based organizations, informal education institutions, and local governmental organizations Recommendations for a K 8 career exploration scope and sequence Guidance on the operation program pilots Support for the selection of student career exploration tools The regional committee will have the heaviest lift in the beginning stages of the RCAES and will settle in to an oversight body once the system is up and running and fully staffed. DESIGNING, DEVELOPING, SECURING AND SUPPORTING TOOLS The regional Information Technology team is responsible for designing and developing the data system. The data system is intended to be the operational tool for the regional career awareness system defined in this document to enable effective implementation and management. The data system is but one tool in the regional career awareness system. The regional team will also source existing career exploration tools, design and develop forms, as well as create or secure other tools as needed. All of these tools will be accessible via a website portal created and maintained by the regional team. 6 The regional staff will provide training and support for all internship team members (including students and business employees) on how to use

7 the management system and other tools. A training manual needs to be produced and school staff should all have a special professional development session on the use of the tools. MAKING CONNECTIONS The regional team plays a significant role in making connections with businesses to support internships, job shadow, class trips, and externship opportunities. In addition, the regional team can also reach out to non-profit organizations to support student readiness training. Once a connection is made, the regional team works with business leaders to educate the appropriate representatives from the business (especially the one individual who will directly supervise the student) about their responsibilities and the goals of the internship program. COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Marketing and communication in the regional system is the key to awareness and fidelity respectively. The regional staff can provide all the human resources to create and implement a full marketing and communications plan as well as develop the materials and build the communications infrastructure. A considerable amount of work must be done with the input from key stakeholders to create an effective marketing campaign and communications platform. STAFFING THE REGIONAL CAREER AWARENESS AND EXPLORATION SYSTEM The staffing load for the RCAES is quite significant because most of the management positions reside at the regional level, and you must ensure enough staff to interface with the businesses, districts, and schools. Please see Configuring Your Team for a detailed list of the recommended positions. For more information on finding businesses for internships, please see Securing Internship Opportunities. For more information on the schools role in the internships, please see School Readiness. CREATING AND SUPPORTING STUDENT AND BUSINESS READINESS PROGRAMS Every entity involved in an internship or job shadow program needs to have a level of readiness to make the program work. To enable the internship and job shadow experience to be a fruitful one, the regional team can create training programs for businesses, employees of businesses, and the students. Having the training programs in as a central function will ensure consistency throughout the region. For more information on getting students and businesses ready, please see Business Readiness and Student Readiness. 7

8 PUTTING THINGS IN PLACE BEFORE YOU BEGIN Before you implement an internship program, there are a few things that need to be set in place: Define the internship continuum Determine needed staff and potential candidates Decide how you ll choose and prepare students Identify, create, and secure paperwork Design an internship class (optional) Secure internships and prepare businesses Establish safety requirements Arrange transportation Create a rubric to measure success Load data system with key data This entire process might take up to 6 months. Once established, preparation in following years could take significantly less time. DEFINING THE INTERNSHIP CONTINUUM What you want is a series of activities beginning with selecting students. The number and kind of activities will be individual for every setting. Defining the internship continuum will enable you to create a satisfying and coherent experience for your students and your business partners. The continuum begins with determining the grades you plan to serve. By far the most complex program piece of the continuum would be a full internship where you need to build relationships with businesses, equitably select students, decide if students will get credit, etc. You may also want to consider partnerships with after school providers who might offer student internship opportunities. As you consider the internship continuum, you will want to center your work on a set of standards. See Appendix B for a link to the Washington State OSPI for a complete set of career readiness standards. STAFFING Once you have decided on how you will implement your internship program, it s time to put your team in place to carry out the planning and implementation of your program. The Configuring Your Team section of this field guide will give you good ideas on how to set your team up for success. CHOOSING AND PREPARING STUDENTS An initial consideration is deciding if an internship is an option or a requirement. If all students are required to do an internship (as is recommended in the Statewide Strategic Plan for Secondary Career and Technical Education in Appendix B presented to the legislature in 2012), then selection is not an issue. If it is an option, then there are some skills and attributes that mark a good candidate and if you have a selection process, you could include them. (See the School Readiness section.)! CAUTION: it is not recommended that you make qualifying too difficult. You always want to be able to take a chance on a kid. The right internship could change someone s life. Prospective interns need appropriate preparation. They need to learn about the world of work and how they can fit into it. (See more discussion of this in the Student Readiness section and in the Appendix item relating to designing an internship class.) 8

9 IDENTIFYING, CREATING AND SECURING PAPERWORK The various paperwork items needed to facilitate the smooth running of an internship program include student application forms, permission slips, liability waivers (where called for) and others. See Appendix A for more information. DESIGNING AN INTERNSHIP CLASS Housing internships in a separate class is not required, but there are some good reasons for doing so that are discussed in the School Readiness section. See Appendix C for ideas about designing such a class. SECURING INTERNSHIPS AND PREPARING BUSINESSES As you begin to identify potential businesses, be sure to consider what your students may be interested in and work toward providing a variety of choices. Plan for how you would go about identifying them and getting the businesses on board. Next you need to help each business prepare their environment for safely hosting teens including creating a job description, selecting the mentors, and training all staff that would be in contact the student. More information about this is in the Business Readiness section. When you do orientation activities for your business partners, think about including families, especially immigrant families who may not be familiar with American business practices and would appreciate feeling included. You want families to become comfortable with sending their children into new circumstances and/or allowing them to ride the bus. You will also want to help the businesses develop cultural awareness around the particular students they host. ESTABLISHING SAFETY REQUIREMENTS Make sure you have a set of requirements that will ensure a safe internship experience for all students. For instance, you may not want mentors to drive students alone. You will want to assure interns are not allowed to perform dangerous tasks. See the Teen Workers Labor and Industries link in Appendix A. ARRANGING TRANSPORTATION It s important to have the transportation logistics figured out for students prior to the start of the internship. Transportation can be a sensitive subject matter to immigrants, limited English-speaking families, particularly the girls, due to safety and cultural differences. The school site coordinator will need to communicate this challenge to the employer so the employer is aware and make sure parents are informed about the need for students to use public transportation. Riding the bus or light rail can be very costly, so the school site coordinator should collaborate with the employer to provide free bus passes or tickets to students so families are not responsible for this expense. The school district should be ready to help with transportation costs. CREATING A RUBRIC TO MEASURE SUCCESS The key to creating an effective internship program is to measure success and use the information to continually improve. This field guide comes with a rubric in the Measuring the Experience section that is ready to use or modify to fit your needs. LOADING THE DATA SYSTEM WITH KEY DATA Ensure the data system is preloaded with student information from your district or school. This will enable everyone involved in data entry to have a productive experience.! CAUTION: A substantial issue is transportation. Many internship programs simply put that in the hands of the student and his/ her family, declaring it is their responsibility. While you can certainly do that, it only works if students and families have cars and money for gas and time to shuttle back and forth 2 or three days a week. Will school districts provide transportation? 9

10 CONFIGURING YOUR TEAM As in all systems, the most important strategy is having the right people in the right places so that the system can work the way it is supposed to. No matter how big or small your internship system is, certain jobs must be done and the table below labels those jobs. The size of the system will determine how those jobs are allocated. IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL ROLE DESCRIPTION REGIONAL OR DISCTRICT SCHOOL Program Director Manages the entire program including staffing, strategic direction and general operations. 3 Business Relations Program Manager School Support Program Manager Student Support Program Manager Marketing and Communications Manager IT Manager Cultivates and stewards relationships with businesses (corporations, small business, nonprofits, civic entities and school districts) and secures internship opportunities. Creates required paperwork for participating businesses. Develops the school internship program including how to promote internship opportunities, professional development, transportation, system usage, student selection and reporting. Assures students and teachers will have schedules that support internships. Makes work site visits where appropriate. Assures compliance with state law and OSPI student work rules If only implemented at the school level, assumes all duties of the Business Relationship Program Manager. Develops student readiness program including internship preparedness, resume building and reporting. Creates required paperwork for school(s) and students. Provides professional development for educators involved in the internship program. Supports system usage and reporting. If only implemented at the school level, assumes most duties of the School Support Program Manager Develops and implements marketing and communication strategies that are targeted to students and businesses. Designs and manages website content. Supports the data system integrity, interfaces with the data system authors and troubleshoots. Supports platform for website and works with contract website designers Internship Manager Supports businesses in creation of job opportunities, workplace preparation, and legal issues. 3 Student Coordinator Supports students in internship readiness, the internship process and post internship activities. 3 3 Website Content Specialist Inputs content for the website. 3 10

11 SAMPLE ORGANIZATION CHARTS REGIONAL OR DISTRICT SYSTEM Program Director Assistant Business Relations PM School Support PM Student Support PM Marketing/ Communications Mgr. IT Manager Internship Manager(s) Students Coordinator(s) Website Specialist(s) Tech Support Team SCHOOL SYSTEM Principal School Support PM Student Support PM Students Coordinator(s) 11

12 SECURING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Finding businesses to contact about your new program and convincing them to commit to becoming a part of it is a challenging job one that the regional or district leadership is in the best position to do. Superintendents are especially good people to be part of this since they probably already have many community contacts and may even be members of community organizations. Most business people would be unlikely to refuse a call from the superintendent as one internship manual put it, CEOs like to talk to other CEOs. There is a concern faced by schools that have a particular focus or theme like STEM or environmental studies or the arts. If they feel they have to limit their partner businesses to those who fit into their specialty, there may not be the business base in the community to support that. If schools have a college-ready mission and want their students in placements where a college education is required, again there may be a problem of finding enough businesses. When you step back a little, you can see that students will learn some of the most valuable job skills like punctuality and meeting deadlines and how to follow directions in any strong internship. In any case, your committee will want to discuss this issue as they develop a list of possible businesses. As you develop a list, you will need IT assistance to create a database that will allow you to monitor the connections you make. Record the name, address, , name of a contact person, date you made contact and the name of the person who made it, and the dates and descriptions of ensuing contacts. As you prepare to make contact with businesses who you hope will sign up for your program, you ll want to work out the content of the approach you will use. Printing information in both brochure and flyer (that can be attached to an ) formats will be part of your strategy. A script for people making cold calls to businesses will also be necessary as will volunteers or district employees who will send the s or make the calls. When making the calls, explain the internship request: Internship definition List of reasons to participate Time frame: One semester, number of afternoons a week, total hours on site (as per your course description) And explain the process: Site visit/approval Employee assigned as mentor (background check as per district policy) Workplace orientation by mentor School makes one site visit during internship Mentor contacts internship teacher as necessary Mentor works with internship teacher and student to design work plan Mentor evaluates intern using provided measurement tool The first move may be a cold call or to a company aimed at someone in HR, Marketing, or Community Relations. Sometimes there might be a Corporate Citizenship department. Ask if they have an existing internship Sources of Business Contacts Local newspapers and advertising publications Local business publications City, county and state governments Presentations at churches, school board, city council, parent organizations at all district schools Non-profit consortiums Chamber of Commerce, Lions, Rotary, other clubs 12

13 program or if they are open to creating opportunities. Tell them you will follow up in a few days if you haven t heard back from them. Other places where you might make contacts include Job Fairs or such events as the United Way Volunteer March. Posting flyers in office buildings or nearby small businesses such as coffee shops could generate a response. When you talk to businesses about why they might want to participate in an internship program, be sure to mention the benefits to students, businesses, and community outlined in the introduction. When you get a yes, you can build out a record as a business completes the activities that will make them intern-ready. The process section in the list above is a basic example of such activities. The first step will be a meeting between someone from the district with the business contact person to go over the basics of the process of hosting an intern and get a signature on a form detailing them. Prior to the acceptance of an intern placement site, the following must be completed: Signed parent approval of the internship Approved job description that reflects student skill set, job duties, hours, supervisor, and compensation if paid Employer orientation needs to be conducted by district contact Appropriate paperwork completed and entered in database Most businesses have probably never been this closely involved before with their local school system. If their participation is a positive experience from the first contact to the successful completion of the first internship on their site, this involvement is likely to grow and continue. 13

14 BUSINESS READINESS When a business enters into a partnership with a school system by providing internships for students, this opens the door to the possibility for needed change. When educators are connecting with businesses around preparing students for the workplace and monitoring their progress, they will more fully understand the needs and expectations of businesses. On the other side of the equation, business people will learn more about young people than the popular media version offers and will come to appreciate them in new ways. This is just one of the benefits of hosting interns and the benefits go both ways. See the Introduction for a set of benefits for the student, company, and community. Looking at the mutual benefits of participating in an internship program will give you some useful talking points as you talk with businesses about why they should want to participate. Also, you can help a business think through their participation by suggesting they ask themselves the questions in the sidebar. Considering the answers to these questions will also help you decide if a particular business is a good fit. Questions to Consider: What does this business have to offer an intern? Can it provide meaningful work whereby interns can learn valuable lessons about the workplace and build valuable skills? Can they provide safety and abide by the laws governing minors in the workplace? Does the business have an individual who is interested in being a mentor and willing to take on the required tasks? What is the job description? What special forms (i.e., non- disclosure, security clearance, etc.) must students sign before employment? PREPARING THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Employers need to ensure company employees are aware of the internship and intern(s). The details should include the projects the intern will be working on, the start and end date, and how they can support the intern during the internship. Employers need to create a nurturing culture for interns. This means inclusion of the intern by providing orientation and explaining all the policy and procedures for employees so he/she will feel like a part of the company and so expectations are clear. An intern need to knows his/her work schedule, when breaks should be taken and for what period of time. It is also good to include the intern in staff and team meetings and onsite company social activities. 14 Employers might have to consider the needs of families of their interns. Some parents may want to see a workplace and meet their child s employers before/during the internship period, particularly families who have recently immigrated to the United States. It s important for an employer to acknowledge these needs and meet them to ensure comfort of their families.

15 When a business agrees to host a student intern, it is recommended they check the labor laws, train mentors, and get the workplace ready for the student among other things. Here is a list of questions the business should answer before the intern arrives at its door: Is the workplace safe and suitable for youth according to Labor and Industry regulations - asp?docid=2312? Has mentor training information been reviewed by employer? Has the employer agreed on paid or unpaid internship? If so what is the salary or hourly rate? Has the employer identified the appropriate mentor and/or point of contact at the workplace for the internship? Have start and end dates as well as other important dates and deadlines been identified for the internship? Has the employer created an intern work plan? CREATING THE INTERNSHIP JOB DESCRIPTION When a business decides to proceed with the internship process, a job description should be developed. It will be somewhat general in nature as the actual work plan will be negotiated later with the mentor, student, and internship teacher. This description will be entered into a database from which students can select possible placements. It should include the job title, position description, scope of work, duration of internship, work location address, and name of contact person. The description should indicate the expected skills needed for the job - strong communication skills, leadership skills, team building skills, and the ability to work independently. Also indicate if the student will need basic technology skills (including MS Office) before being hired. SELECTING AND PREPARING THE MENTOR/MANAGER Once a mentor is identified, it is important for that person to understand the roles and responsibilities that define mentoring. The mentor s supervisor or the CEO of the business should initiate this conversation and, during it, they will want to make sure the mentor is taking on this role with enthusiasm and that he/she knows it will be a way to grow managerial skills. Skills to look for in candidates for mentoring include communication skills, interpersonal skills, being a team player, patience, and an interest in giving back. Such training can be provided by the region, district, or school depending on the circumstances. The mentor is a key component of having a successful internship experience. Mentor training is critical to a successful intern-mentor relationship. This may be the first time the professional has played the role of a mentor or supervisor. The mentor needs to be someone who does not take mentorship lightly and understands what mentoring requires. The training will provide a clear understanding of what it means to be a good mentor and provide tips on how to deal with certain situations that may occur during the course of the internship. Once you have a mentor, then the main responsibilities shift to him/her while the rest of the company commits to supporting what the internship will become. The mentor relationship is a powerful one. When it exists in a context of caring and respect, it can transform a young person. An internship will certainly provide students with knowledge and skills that they cannot get from books. It can also be a source of satisfaction for the mentor and for the business. One of the best possible outcomes for the program would be that businesses will become regular partners and host students every year. In such a case, the business community becomes an active contributor to the educational process of the community. The staff and resource commitment of a business rests primarily with the mentor. Beyond that, there needs to be someone who deals with the school district around liability, minors in the workplace, and any other legal concerns. The district will have some paperwork covering all this for a business representative to sign during an initial approval inspection at the start of the process. 15

16 Responsibilities of a Mentor Attend mentor training Provide orientation and training at the beginning of the internship Set up a workspace for the intern prior to starting their internship Establish work hours Work with intern and internship teacher to create a work plan detailing projects/tasks/ activities to be completed and the goals of the internship Monitor attendance notify internship teacher if student is absent without having notified the business Provide intern with direction, resources, and support necessary to successfully meet the goals of the internship Meet with intern on regular basis to discuss progress, provide feedback, and give encouragement Notify internship teachers of any problems Help intern feel comfortable in the workplace and with other employees Evaluate intern performance DESIGNING A MENTOR TRAINING COURSE It will be important to set aside time for mentors to review what is expected of them and what is expected of the students. Organizing key information in a central place for review by the mentor is suggested. The employer and mentor should review to confirm that all information is understood before the internship starts. Mentor Training Distribute course description/syllabus explain performance expectations for internships: attendance, assignments (internship application, internship work plan, resume, mentor interview, workplace analysis, student log, student self-pre-assessment/post-assessment, student reflective essay, mentor evaluation, teacher evaluation) How to create an intern work plan How to orient intern to workplace that includes families Regular check-ins with intern Workplace visit by teacher Evaluating an intern ORIENTING THE INTERN TO THE WORKPLACE Ideally, interns become a part of your business, albeit a temporary part. The goal is to provide Interns with the means to learn job skills, what it is like to work in a business environment, and what the many possibilities are in this career field. It may be a lot to take on for a short internship period, but the students will benefit greatly. Below is a list of potential orientation topics for the business to consider: Company mission, values, goals, structure Set expectations: work hours, schedule breaks (e.g. lunch), project/job goals, milestones and guidelines Mid and end term evaluations Integration into your payroll system, building safety procedures, Attending staff meetings and other meetings when appropriate Meeting with individuals who can talk with teens about their experiences and become additional mentors to the student 16

17 EVALUATING THE INTERN AND INTERNSHIP All interns should be evaluated at least twice during the internship - once near the beginning to calibrate the intern to expected work outcomes and once near the end of the internship to assess change in performance. Feedback should be: Open and honest Focused on work situations Held in private Praiseworthy where appropriate Problem solving in nature where appropriate The mentor should ask questions that will help guide the intern in thinking critically about performance. Goals and comments should be positive and corrective. From the moment the internship has started until it is completed, there are key elements to evaluate to continuously improve the experience for students and businesses. Using the rubric in the Measuring the Experience section will help facilitate the evaluation process. Generate monthly or quarterly reports (depending on your volume of internship matches) and use those reports as a tool when working with the businesses and students. Here is a sample form from Massachusetts Work-Based Learning Plan 17

18 DISTRICT READINESS When a district commits to building an internship program, it is a far-reaching commitment. It connects the district to the community in new and exciting ways. It invites students to engage in significant learning with a true realworld dimension. It provides answers for both staff and students about what is really the answer to the question: When will I need this in the real world? The best foundation for a successful internship program is a welldeveloped scope and sequence of college and career readiness activities and experiences spread across the years. This will make students ready and eager to step into the world through the door of a local business. The district program will provide the framework that will maximize learning from experience so that the internship is more than just an after-school job. SUGGESTION: Calendar out all the events you re going to do at the beginning of each school year. This is especially important in the early years of the program. While a district s role in building an internship program starts with creating curriculum and activities for students across the years as they approach the time when they will be eligible for internships, there are other concerns they will need to deal with. Each district will need a steering committee which will design and oversee the program in the participating schools. The makeup of that committee is up to the district, but there should definitely be representatives from the schools who will be offering the program. Local business owners and parents should be represented. Once the internship program is launched, this committee could become an ongoing advisory group that meets several times a year to assess the success of the program and institute any needed adjustments. The committee will answer questions such as those listed below. District Questions Why should we do this? How will it serve our kids? How many kids will we serve and from what schools? What about the issue of pay? How many partner businesses will we need to recruit? How will we recruit them? What will the program cost in terms of FTE, materials, transportation, and other supports? Will this be a class? o If so, will it be a credit-bearing class? o Who will write the curriculum? o How will this fit into the school day? o Who will teach it? SUPPORTING SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS If an internship program is district-wide, then much of the work of getting started will be centralized. So creating policy, designing courses, getting them approved, and connecting to businesses are all likely to be approached at the district level. If the district is starting small with one or two schools, then the district may want to let each school lay the groundwork while it provides support. For instance, the district curriculum personnel could help with the course design process and make the course approval as easy as possible. Definitely, because the district has the widest reach, it could be active with connecting to businesses. Finding placements is one of the hardest tasks in the process, so schools will need help. There may be district personnel assigned to work directly with students participating in workbased experiences. The district could also help by preparing and printing informational brochures. Of course, district financial support will be needed to pay for the school staff running the program. 18

19 TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY? The question of whether or not an intern should be paid for hours on the job site is complicated. One of the most famous learningthrough-work school designs, the Big Picture Company Network, offers only unpaid internships saying that learning should be the goal not wages. The Washington D.C. One City High School Internship Program requires all students be paid minimum wage and the program pays them. The Internship Handbook for Career Academies developed at UC Berkeley says internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the goals set by a program and implies that you could have both options in one program. Other programs also allow for the mix of the two. There are multiple considerations in play here. If you have a mixed system, how can it be equitable? Most all kids would like to earn money and some need it more than others. How would you make the decision? If all internships are paid, will the district or the region foot the bill? You can t expect all the businesses you might want to partner with to be able to afford to pay interns. Also, different legal and liability issues arise if interns are employees or volunteers. In any case, this is something a district will need to resolve.! CAUTION: If the internship is paid, then the business is responsible for liability. If it s a volunteer opportunity, then the school district is responsible. CONNECTING TO BUSINESSES The basic entities of an internship are the learner and the mentor who is the practitioner of a particular set of skills associated with a job. The job could be housed in any private institution from the largest corporation to the small business down the block or in a public institution from the parks and recreation department of your city to the county library to the elementary school next door. Districts can support the schools offering internships by finding the institutions willing to host interns and vet them according to district policy around adults working with minors and educating the appropriate representatives from the business (especially the one individual who will directly supervise the student) about their responsibilities and the goals of the internship program. For more information on finding businesses for internships, please see Securing Internship Opportunities. Districts can also support other college-and-career-ready activities such as field trips and job shadows. Surveying teachers about successful field trip sites could produce a useful list of possible destinations. Field trips can t happen unless funds are allocated for transportation. Internship sites might also be job shadow sites with some encouragement from the district level. 19

20 20

21 DATA SYSTEM SUPPORT The district can provide training for all internship team members on how to use the database systems. A training manual needs to be produced, and users should all have professional development training on the use of it. The effectiveness of this program depends on leveraging this tool properly. Each team member should have test scenarios run prior to the system going live to ensure that the system is working properly. Some potential activities are: Entering data in fields Uploading files Running reports Login testing for different user groups and auditing their access. of another class on their work days, staff members have to support that so students can make up work they miss without penalty. This is where you really need the good will and generosity of your colleagues. And this why most internship programs require that participating students have a 2.5 GPA or better since that would indicate they are good enough at school to be able to navigate this issue. On the other hand, disaffected students who might really benefit from the internship experience won t be able to qualify. This is a place where you might want to allow teacher or school discretion. For more information and ideas on internship course design see Appendix C. The key to training is that member of the team knows how the system works and their role interacting with it. Failure to invest in proper training will hamper organization and effectiveness of the program. CREATING AND APPROVING AN INTERNSHIP COURSE Be aware that the questions of course design, crediting, and scheduling are bigger than they look. The intern s time on the job will be determined by the course description and the way credit is awarded. Typically, in a onesemester internship class, it will take 4-6 weeks of class time to deliver an internship-ready curriculum which will teach students the appropriate skills and behaviors required on the job and then to find appropriate placements. Interns should spend at least 3-4 hours on the job each time they visit and they should be on site at least twice a week. At that rate, interns will amass at least 90 hours over the course of weeks. These are general parameters based on averages from a survey of various internship programs based in schools. They are not rules. The requirements for your program will be the result of your school and/or district goals. Usually, the internship class is scheduled for the last block of the day so that students can leave school around noon or so and get to their work sites. If a student has to miss part 21

22 School Questions: Why should we do this? How will it serve our kids? How many kids will we serve? How many host businesses can we recruit? How will we recruit them? What will the program cost in terms of FTE, materials, transportation, and other supports? Where will we need to solicit district support? Will this be a class? If so, will it be a credit-bearing class? Who will write the curriculum? How will this fit into the school day? Who will teach it? SCHOOL READINESS When a school decides to create an internship program, it is making a commitment to a style of education that may be new to them. It is definitely not new to the world as hands-on, side-by-side learning is as old as one can imagine. Elder cavemen and cavewomen taught the young of their cave community what they needed to know. As social groups became more organized in the middle ages, masters of a craft took on apprentices in what became formalized relationships eventually governed by contracts. Though there are fewer and fewer jobs in the fields that promote apprenticing, apprenticeship programs are still the standard for many skilled occupations. However, such programs are not connected to the public school system and most teachers don t know much about them. It would be instructive if the planning for an internship included some review and discussion about the history and theory behind the experiential learning that occurs in the context of an apprenticeship. The design of a school internship program at either the school or the district level would ideally be a shared process involving a committee composed of administrators, counselors, and teachers who are likely to participate in it as well as other teachers who are interested. Housing such a program is a curricular issue and a resource issue, so the whole school/district is affected. It would not be a bad idea to include representatives from the business community and parents. It is advisable for the committee to make regular reports to the school community. Such a committee will need to grapple with questions such as those above. RECRUITING STUDENTS FOR INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES The school is the recruiting ground for possible interns. School staff can be encouraged to make students aware of the value of internships. The school staff person in charge of the internship programs can make classroom and parent group presentations. It would be useful to have an informational brochure to describe the program to students and parents. If you have a selection process for interns, you could require an application and/or a letter of recommendation. Most programs have a GPA requirement because they want to assure a student is not in an academic situation that could be damaged by missing all or part of a class due to the requirements of his/her internship. Other considerations might be strong communication skills, leadership skills, team building skills, and the ability to work independently. Basic technology skills (including MS Office) are necessary. You do not want to make it excessively difficult to qualify and you should always be ready to take a chance when you can see a student who would really benefit from an internship even though he/she doesn t have all the desired skills. It is suggested you place that student carefully and work with the business to assist in creating a successful experience. 22

23 TRANSPORTATION! CAUTION: Transportation is a substantial issue. Many internship programs simply put that in the hands of the student and his/ her family, declaring it is their responsibility. While you can certainly do that, it only works if students and families have cars and money for gas and time to shuttle back and forth two or three days a week. Will school districts provide transportation? Now comes the critical question: How will students get to their internships? Many programs just assign that problem to the students and their families and that s the end of it. However, in the area for which this manual is written, that is not really an option. A few students have cars and some families have the resources to drive their kids back and forth, but not enough. If public transportation is a viable option, then bus passes can be provided if the district can provide the funds. Individual schools are unlikely to have extra funds available for this. Where public transportation will not work, then the district will have to take on this burden especially if they are aiming for a large internship program involving all or most students. MONITORING Once students are actively involved in their internships, their classroom work will center on the various monitoring activities like keeping a student log. Some examples are listed below. Students could be required to complete assignments such as: A student journal or blog listing/describing every workplace visit A work plan drawn up by the student, internship teacher and workplace mentor detailing the projects/tasks/activities required of the intern A workplace analysis a discussion of the job site and what it is like to work there Mentor interview video or audio, minutes, Self-reflective essay detailing the job experience and the intern s commentary on what he/she learned about himself/herself Internship portfolio contents as assigned Internship final presentation Of course, it will be essential to enter all the monitoring activities in the data system so that you can stay current with a student s progress through the system and create good data as your system grows and changes. STAFFING The staffing of a school-based program is likely to require a lead teacher--one full FTE who has access to the various supports. This person would chair the school internship design committee and the staff who are members should be paid. This group will get the program going by designing its parameters, designing the internship course and taking it through the district process for new courses, making business contacts, and securing partnerships. The lead teacher who heads the design committee would be the likely person to teach the course. He/she will need to work with the counselors to recruit the students into the program and work with the district to make the necessary transportation connections. Once students are placed, their progress must be tracked. DATA SYSTEM TRAINING All internship team members should be trained how to use the database systems. A training manual needs to be produced (if the district is not responsible), and users should all have professional development training on the use of it. The effectiveness of this program depends on leveraging this tool properly. Each team member should have test scenarios run prior to the system going live to ensure that the system is working properly. Some potential activities are: Entering data in fields Uploading files Running reports Login testing for different user groups and auditing their access. The key to training is that members of the team know how the system works and their role interacting with it. Failure to invest in proper training will hamper organization and effectiveness of the program. 23

24 24 CREATING AN INTERNSHIP CLASS A successful internship where both the student and the business learn through their partnership does not happen by accident. For starters, making the right match takes some work. Both the student and the business need appropriate preparation. The process needs to be monitored and assessed. This is far more than a teacher or counselor can do beyond his/her regular job duties. There are some freestanding internship programs like the One City High School Internship Program in Washington, D.C., but most operate in schools, and most school programs are classroom-based. You will find information about internship classes in Appendix C and in the District Readiness section.

25 STUDENT READINESS SUGGESTION: These conversations should begin in elementary school with interest inventories, research on careers, field trips, and classroom speakers. A chart displaying possible components of a college-careerreadiness continuum is on page 4. SUGGESTION: You will have discussed the legal issues around work permits, transportation, parent consent, and liability so that you can provide all the appropriate paperwork. Selecting and preparing students for internship experiences requires thoughtfulness and organization. It is recommended you create a committee at the school that includes teachers and other staff. This committee should oversee the student readiness portion of the internship process as well as complete some of the preparation and implementation tasks. Will it be difficult to recruit students into the internship program? That is impossible to predict, but students are likely to be interested if they are already thinking about their futures. If your district/school has a robust college and career readiness program, students have been talking about their education and work goals for years. In 8th or 9th grade, students begin the state-required High School and Beyond Plan which they revise every year. As students begin registering for their senior year, if counselors and teachers have the correct information about the new internship opportunities, they can steer students in that direction. The school/district might want to require students to apply. If so, your committee will want to create the form, the process, and the criteria. To ensure an equitable selection of students, it is advised to set a goal of having the socio-economic demographics of students participating in internships mirror that of the school or district. INTERNSHIP PREPARATION As students sign up, what will you want them to do so they will be internship-ready in six weeks? There may be non-profits in the area that specialize in job readiness for teens. The school may want to work with these groups to help prepare students for the internship opportunities. If working with a non-profit is not an option, then each school will need at least.5 FTE per section devoted to teaching the internship preparation class (if one exists), recruiting the students, connecting with parents, and making site visits each semester. This person may also need secretarial-type support. A larger school may have more than one section in a semester. The district or school will need a full-time lead who will begin the work in the summer before the program is actually ready for students. This person will head the steering committee and supervise the people who do the work as determined by the committee. There are a number of tools available for career exploration and self-assessment. Appendix B has a short list, but you are encouraged to do your own research to find tools that work for your school environment. You can set minimum criteria for student internship preparation that is composed of the following: Writing a resume Goal setting Researching businesses Working in a corporate environment Self-assessment Communication in a work environment Mock interviews Professional etiquette 25

26 26 In addition, you may also want the student to: Research a local business a site visit, interview(s), short paper and presentation Informational interviews in person or on the phone, interview about job duties, preparation, challenges, etc. write-up and class presentation could do more than one Self-assessment of workplace skills including basic skills, soft skills, 21st century skills (motivation and taking initiative, accepting direction and constructive criticism, speaking and listening, reading and writing, collaboration, time management, collecting and organizing information, and many more. Use same assessment tool at end of internship as a measure of program success Finally in order to make sure the student is ready for an internship experience, you should assess their readiness. Below are resources to use. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will get you started. United States Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration Work Readiness Tool CareerOneStop Building Blocks for Competency Models WorkForce One Tips for Measuring Work Readiness for Youth Under the Recovery Act aspx?look= &mode=info&pparams= THE RESUME Student resumes should include the following: Objective Contact information, name, , phone, address Paid experiences/volunteer experiences Skills, typing, technical, etc. School activities Awards Interests, activities, hobbies Create a separate list with references JOB SHADOW PREPARATION Job shadowing is an opportunity to expose students to a specific career field. How do you create a great job shadow experience for students? It s all in the preparation. The school or district coordinator should meet with the contact at the company to discuss the goals, and expectations of the employees and students participating in the job shadow experience. The responsibility of the site coordinator at the school is to ensure students know what s expected of them, covering behavior, corporate dress code, preparing questions to ask the person being shadowed, and follow up after the job shadow. Students should be prepared to: Research company Dress for success Have good eye contact Speak clearly Have a willingness to learn Listen Have questions prepared Take notes Ask for business cards Employees should be prepared to: Provide an overview of the company Talk about their career Describe a typical day Talk about their college and why they chose it, courses, and experience Ask students about their career interests Provide career advice DATA SYSTEM TRAINING Students need access to the system to enter their resume, their performance review, and their reflection for each internship experience. They should also be able to print from the system. Assign one team member to train the students.

27 MAKING THE MATCH As they prepare for internships, students learn about themselves--they inventory their interests and assess their skills. They study careers that interest them and learn what is required to pursue particular pathways. They may conduct a gap analysis that tells them about what they have to add to their skill set to be qualified for a particular job. After all that, and probably more, they begin to have an idea of what kind of internship would be a good fit and they write resumes designed for the kinds of positions they would like. Meanwhile, businesses create job descriptions which describe work that needs doing that they are ready to put into the hands of an intern and select a member of their staff who will coach and supervise. Once you have a group of seekers looking for a spot and a group of businesses who have spots, you need a matchmaker. Who is the matchmaker and how does the match get made? Having a school or district staff member watch over this process is critical to the success of the match. While you want to the student to do most of the work, there needs to be adult oversight. When the student is matched with an internship, it s important to ensure they are ready for the job. Here is a quick checklist to get you started. Of course there may be more items added depending on the scope of the internship. What is the scope of work the student is expected to accomplish? What are the key milestones and deadlines for the project? Who are the key coworkers students will need to collaborate with? What are the expectations or role of intern in meetings? How will communication work between mentor and intern? How will questions be resolved? RESEARCHING THE COMPANY Once the student receives the company information where he/she would like to apply, the student must take the time to research what the company s mission is, the history, the accomplishments of the company, and any other 27

28 28

29 important facts about the business or organization. With the information gathered from research, this allows the student to feel better prepared for his/her interview. It also provides an opportunity for the student to develop important questions for the interview about the company and internship position. Such preparation is a boost to a student s confidence as he/she goes forward. CONTACTING THE MANAGER The student will need to contact the manager at the company and this is where the student may need help from someone at the school. The school may need to provide a phone and a quiet place to use it as well as a quick review of appropriate telephone etiquette. FOLLOW UP WHEN INTERNSHIP IS DONE It is a must for the roles and responsibilities to be clearly defined in the job description for the student. During the internship orientation, the mentor should review the expectations including roles and responsibilities. The employer has to be mindful that young people probably haven t developed the on-the-job skills as of yet, so helping them to understand their role and the dos and don ts of the company sets the student up for a successful internship experience. FINAL INTERVIEW PREPARATION Once an interview date is set, the student should work with school or district staff for one last interview preparation that is more tailored to the specific company and job description. ESTABLISHING START AND END DATES Once the student is hired, establish a routine schedule and ensure student and parents are informed of his/her start and end dates. It decreases scheduling conflicts if the student and parent/guardian are aware of these dates prior to the start of the internship. The student will also want to talk with teachers if the internship experience will affect attendance. DEFINING ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS It is a must for the roles and responsibilities to be clearly defined in the job description for the student. During the internship orientation, the mentor should review the expectations including roles and responsibilities. The employer has to be mindful that young people probably haven t developed the on-the-job skills as of yet, so helping them to understand their role and the dos and don ts of the company sets the student up for a successful internship experience. 29

30 MEASURING THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Creating an impactful and effective internship program requires the evaluation of every internship experience from the student, business, and school/ district point of view. This rubric is designed to be used by the appointed staff at the regional, district, or school level. It is meant as a template that can be modified as needed. Data from these rubrics should be entered into the data system to record internship outcomes and evaluate program progress. The rubric is designed on a 1-4 scale with 4 being the ideal outcome. If you decide to modify this rubric, you must make your evaluation points align with the 1-4 scale in order to get valid reports. INTERNSHIP RUBRICS The rubrics below are to be applied to each internship experience. The goal is to get as close to a 4 on each internship experience as possible, but the reality is it will take a few years of running the program to get to that level for most internship experiences. STUDENT PREPAREDNESS AND FOLLOWUP Quality of Resumes Preparedness Final Report Resume did not reflect student s abilities and experiences and was difficult to read Student did not meet the core preparedness criteria Student did not provide a written final report Resume was somewhat sparse but easy to read Student met the core preparedness criteria and none of the other criteria before experiencing an internship Student provided an incomplete written final report Resume reflected most of student s abilities and experiences but was difficult to read Student met the core preparedness criteria and some of the other criteria before experiencing an internship Student provided a written final report Resume reflected student s abilities and experiences and was easy to read Student met all the preparedness criteria before experiencing an internship Student provided a written final report and did a presentation for one of his/her classes 30

31 BUSINESS PREPAREDNESS AND FOLLOWUP Quality of Job Description Manager Readiness Environment Final Performance Review Debrief Job description did not reflect job Job description geared toward adults Job description could not be Job description geared toward and was not altered for students accomplished in given time frame students and could be accomplished in the given time frame Manager did not meet any of the preparedness criteria before taking on an intern Only students with specific abilities could work in the environment Manager did not complete or submit a performance review for the intern and did not have a face-to-face meeting with the intern Manager did not attend internship debrief meeting Manager met the core management preparedness criteria before taking on an intern Business environment deemed suitable for a large subset of students Manager completed but did not submit the performance review in a timely manner and did not do a faceto-face meeting with intern Manager attended internship debrief meeting and gave no input Manager met the core management preparedness criteria and some of the additional criteria before taking on an intern Business environment deemed suitable for most students Manager completed and submitted a performance review for the intern, but did not have a face-to-face meeting with the intern Manager attended internship debrief meeting and gave little input Manager met all management preparedness criteria before taking on an intern Business environment deemed suitable for students of all backgrounds Manager completed and submitted a performance review for the intern and covered the performance review with the intern in a face-to-face meeting Manager attended internship debrief meeting and gave valid and complete input INTERSHIP EXPERIENCE The job matched the description Student had a completely different experience than the job description indicated Student experienced some elements of the job description, but didn t learn any new skills Student experienced every element of the job description ans learned new skills but could not articulate Student experienced every element of the job description and was able to articulate the new skills learned Management preparation Manager was unprepared to work with students and that was not reflected in their performance review Attendance Student had less than 50% attendance record Manager was somewhat prepared to work with students and that was reflected in their performance review Student had almost 51% -89% attendance record Manager was mostly prepared to work with students and that was reflected in their performance review Student had 90%-99% attendance record Manager was prepared to work with students and that was reflected in their performance review Student had 100% attendance record Student prepared for the internship experience Student was unprepared for the internship experience and that was not reflected in his/her performance review Student was somewhat prepared for the internship experience and that was reflected in his/her performance review Student was mostly prepared for the internship experience and that was reflected in his/her performance review Student was prepared for the internship experience and that was reflected in his/her performance review 31

32 32