Cooperative Education and Internship Program Overview for Employers

"My internship was an amazing, once-in-a- lifetime chance for me. I learned and did so much. I also met many people that will help me to network and build my future career"

Mia Giobbi, Communication Studies Intern

The UW-La Crosse Cooperative Education and Internship Program is one of the largest programs in the UW-System and features regional and national opportunities.

The popularity of the program is due to the flexibility for employers as well as students. Although some internships follow the timeline for academic semesters (fall, spring and summer), others are part-time, year round or for a specified timeframe to complete a special project. The employer may request the most accommodating perimeters for the experience and may specify their preference for certain majors.

If you wish to discuss an idea for an internship you may contact one of our Career Services staff members.

HOW DO EMPLOYERS BENEFIT ?

Identify potential new employees in an on-the-job setting
Meet short term and special project personnel needs
Support the university community and increase your company's visibility on campus
Reduce your recruitment and training costs through potential retention of interns
Provide some financial support to the intern at entry level wages

WHAT ABOUT COMPENSATION FOR INTERNS ?

Since most UW-L students work to finance their education, paid internships are preferred. Some employers offering paid opportunities attract a more experienced candidate. In addition, some employers offer unpaid internships and if students value the career-related experience, they are willing to volunteer their time. If you have any questions on prevailing wage rates for various internship positions contact the Career Services staff.

WHAT IS THE RECRUITING TIMETABLE ?

The largest pool of candidates will be available according to the student's academic planning cycle. Internships can be posted at anytime throughout the year but as a guide, employers should post internships for the maximum exposure as follows:

Mid October - for spring semester interns beginning on/about January 21 for up to 16 weeks
Early December - for summer interns beginning on/about May 20 for up to 14 weeks
Mid March - for fall semester interns beginning on/about September 15 for up to 16 weeks
Anytime - for special projects and short term needs

HOW DO STUDENTS APPLY ?

All internships are posted in Eagle Opportunities for students to access anytime. Employers may ask students to apply directly with a cover letter and resume, set-up on campus interview schedule or collect resumes from students using Eagle Opportunities.

Following the application deadline, employers review resumes, determine qualified candidates and schedule interviews. If a suitable candidate is found, an offer follows. Students are advised that positions are competitive and not all candidates are offered an internship.

HOW DO EMPLOYERS ESTABLISH AN INTERNSHIP AT UW-L ?

UW-L interns should be considered professional entry level employees and should be given meaningful, college level experiences with adequate training, supervision and evaluation.

All interns have a position description, drafted by the employer in the posting process.

ARE THERE SAMPLE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS? (samples are in MS Word format)

Bank or Financial Institution Intern	Laboratory Intern
Convention Sales and Marketing Intern	Youth Counselor Intern
Computer Applications and Networking Intern	Alternative Education Coordinator Intern
Human Resources Assistant Intern	Marketing and Promotions Intern

WHAT ABOUT THE PAPERWORK ?

Employers are asked to complete the following reports:

Position Description for Internship (This is a form created in MS Word. Right click and select "Save Target As" to save this document to your local drive. Then complete form, save it to your local drive and return to Career Services by email. Address and contact information is shown on the form.)

Student/ Employer Work Agreement (.pdf format, intended only as sample)

Employer Evaluation at Mid-term and Final (.pdf format, intended only as sample)

Students choose a faculty advisor from UW-L to work with and prepare monthly progress reports plus a final evaluation on the work assignment. Some faculty advisors assign a student project that relates to the internship.