Offer a Work-and-Learn Experience

Internships

Paid internships are the most common type of work-and-learn experience offered by our employer partners. In-person internship options can range from a short, 8-hour project-based experience to a short-term, non-credit, one-week micro-internship to a 16-week or longer internship (for credit or non-credit). Virtual internships, where communication between employers and interns takes place through a variety of methods such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, telephone, and email, are also viable choices in today's flexible work environment. Virtual internships range from 5–40 hours or in some cases up to 6 months.

Research shows that students hired for a full-time career opportunity after an internship have higher retention rates within the organization, making for a sound return on investment. Work with your local Ivy Tech Talent Connection Manager to determine which internship option is the right fit for your company.

Advertise Your Internships

Have an internship you’re looking to fill? Get the word out to our students and alumni with HireIvy, Ivy Tech’s job portal and career services system. A posting on HireIvy will position you as an employer of choice with our statewide student and alumni network.

Internship Guidelines

As you explore options for bringing interns into your workplace, consider the six areas outlined below that lead to a successful intern experience. 

1. Orient the student to the company and key contacts.
2. Identify student learning goals.
3. Outline employer project goals and weekly expectations for accomplishment.
4. Schedule weekly meetings: work status updates (should be documented), check-ins, and department meetings (in-person 1:1, email, and/or phone).
5. Over communicate and involve the intern, not only with work-related projects and tasks but also creative interaction amongst other interns and staff (scavenger hunt; homerooms)
6. Provide necessary equipment and resources for the intern to accomplish the assigned project.

View/download the PDFs below for more detailed guidelines.

In-Person Internship Guidelines (PDF)
Virtual Internship Guidelines (PDF)

For-Credit Internships

You may also want to consider partnering with our Academics team to provide for-credit internships.

Key Characteristics:

• An experience that serves to synthesize a student's education and apply it to a workplace setting
• These are usually undertaken near the end of a student's program of study so as to reflect the whole of the student's educational experience
• Supervision is provided by an Ivy Tech Community College faculty member
• On-site supervision is provided by an agency/company employee

Employer Participation (Policy 6.14):

• 5 contact hours per week (250 minutes)
• 80 contact hours per semester (4,000 minutes)

Examples of for-credit internships:

• Human Services has two internships which require 160 hours and reflection papers
• A Hospitality internship requires 80 hours of work experience and 10 hours of service hours, activity logs, reflection papers, evaluations, skills tests, and a portfolio
• Criminal Justice has a 4-credit hour internship class
• Medical Assisting students complete 200 hours of hands-on physicians’ office-based learning their last semester enrolled in the program

Share Your Intern Story

• Students: Complete this survey to share your incredible internship journey. It might make it on this website to help us celebrate YOU!
• Employers: Complete this Pledge Survey to celebrate and share incredible Ivy Tech interns you've worked with past and present!
• Ivy Tech Faculty/Staff: We know you work hard to get our students engaged with meaningful Work-and-Learn experiences - tell us your big wins!

Micro-Internships

Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable students to demonstrate skills, explore career paths and build their networks as they seek the right full-time role. Employers use micro-internships as a feeder into existing internship and early career full-time hiring efforts. You’ll connect with a more diverse network of candidates, attract students who may not have previously considered roles at your organization, and identify candidates that have the skills to succeed. Micro-internships provide companies with immediate support and complement campus recruiting efforts. 

Build a Better Entry-Level Talent Pipeline

• Typically require 5-40 hours, and can be bundled to create a longer-term experience

• Each project has a discrete deliverable due within a few days to a few weeks, making it easier for companies and interns to evaluate outcomes

• Require no onboarding and can be completed with minimal instruction

• Can be either on-site or virtual, depending on the specific requirements of the project. We typically suggest remote, as this provides more flexibility and accessibility.

• Available year-round as needed

• Provides an easy way for companies and interns to build authentic relationships

Cost

You as the employer set the price for each project. All projects are fixed-fee, and most are listed between $200-$600, typically implying $15-20/hour based on estimated hours of work. 90% of this fee goes directly to the intern, and there are no obligations or other fees even if the relationship turns into an internship or full-time role.

Key Characteristics of Micro-Internships:

• Short-term (typically lasting 2-8 weeks)
• Paid or unpaid
• Project-based
• Students work in various capacities to support the company
• Mentoring from workplace practitioners
• Rooted in an authentic real-world context and involves students in intentional reflection on that experience, places an emphasis on the development of multiple career readiness competencies defined by NACE, and occurs within traditional classroom environments, in beyond-the-classroom settings either on or off campus, or in virtual/online modalities (CHE)
• Aligned to student skill set, area of interest, or program area
• Employer evaluation required

Employer Participation:

• Suggested 40 hours minimum
• In-person or virtual

Examples of Micro-Internships:

• Serve as an intern at an architectural firm during fall break
• Complete a 30-day seasonal internship

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL TALENT CONNECTION MANAGER