Establish Co-ops and Internships

Internships and co-ops provide a number of benefits to both employers and students, including:

  • Having an opportunity to "try-out" prospective employees.
  • Providing pre-professional personnel who are relatively less expensive than professional staff, yet effective and highly motivated.
  • Meeting seasonal needs, releasing professional staff from work that can be delegated.
  • Attracting top students to your organization early in their college careers.
  • Working with students who understand the industry.

Cooperative Education (Co-op)

Students alternate semesters of school and co-op employment, working several terms for the same employer. A co-op entails a longer student/employer agreement than an internship. Students alternate semesters of school and co-op employment, often working several semesters for the same employer. Students can begin as early as the summer after their freshman year or as late as their junior year. Students generally receive college credit for co-op positions.

Each successive employment term should involve increased responsibility and complexity of work assignments and correspond to the student's academic and work experience. Upon completion of each work term, both the co-op student and employer complete an evaluation. The initial agreement between the company and student is for a specified number of terms. If continued employment is no longer in the best interest of the student or employer, neither is obligated to continue when appropriate and timely notice is given to the Career Services office.

Internships

Students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech often seek summer employment to earn money for college expenses and to gain valuable experience. A summer internship serves both needs, while providing a valuable benefit to the employer. Unlike cooperative education arrangements, students generally do not receive college credit for internships. Students can begin as early as the summer following their freshman year and are strongly encouraged to seek as much career-related experience as possible throughout their college years. Responsibilities should increase as the summer progresses with a goal of the intern working independently. While internships do not require a long-term commitment, many students are asked to return.

For more information on setting up an internship or co-op program to meet specific needs at your company/agency, please contact Jacquelyn Pelzer, jpelzer@vt.edu.

Steps for Establishing Co-ops and Internships

The best experiences are ones in which both the company and student benefit. To find the best available intern, follow these easy steps:

  1. Structure the internship to involve a variety of experiences (hands-on, observation of professionals at work, project management).
    • Rotate an intern through various departments of your organization.
    • Give the intern a project to complete by the end of the internship. Examples: examining current ag markets for various products; creating an improved dialogue with Spanish speaking laborers and orchard managers; and assisting with web site creation/maintenance.
  2. Internships are scheduled throughout the entire year, however, the majority occur during the student's summer vacation, from mid-May through August.
  3. Structure the internship with suitable pay rates -- preferably $10 to $15 per hour. Companies paying less usually assist interns with housing expenses.
  4. Help the intern find living arrangements by providing an apartment, finding one that accepts short-term leases, or seeking employees to provide housing. Decide whether your compnay will help pay part of that expense.
  5. Consider offering the intern reimbursement for travel costs to the site if it is a long distance from his/her home.
  6. Submit a short evaluation to give us your feedback. This will assist in improving future intern arragements.