What Is An Internship

What is an Internship? An internship is an opportunity for a high school student to gain real-world work experience related to his or her career aspirations while earning academic credit toward graduation. Students are interested in an experience that is “more than just a job.” The internship should consist of meaningful, career-related work assignment to help them determine their career path.

How Can an Employer Benefit? An internship is a win-win arrangement for the student and the employer. Here are some of the possible benefits: • Assistance during a crunch • Assistance in completing special projects • Savings in training costs • More cost-effective and efficient method of recruitment • Regular flow of talent • Effective way to evaluate potential employees • Good word-of-mouth advertising/public relations

What are the Details? Internships are an average of 15 weeks in length and 5-10 hours per week for 1-2 credits per semester. Students are responsible for the completion of their internship contract as well and completing time sheets.

Role of the Sponsor/Mentor • • • • • •

Plan the intern’s assignments and responsibilities and provide adequate supervision so that the student can successfully carry these out. Orient the student to the organization, its culture, and their assignments Offer the student a rewarding internship experience by assigning challenging projects and allowing students to participate in professional activities when appropriate. Assist student in developing and achieving personal learning objectives. Provide guidance and offer corrective feedback to help student perform to their maximum potential. Complete work based learning plan (provided by internship office at NHS) twice during the semester.

For More Information Contact: Donna Waterman, NHS Internship Coordinator 380 Elm Street Northampton, MA 01060

(413) 587-1332

E-mail: [email protected]