A N G E L L . S E T OS A L E M S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION AMONGST FRAMINGHAM STATE

STUDENTS

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM

• 36% of college students are graduating with their bachelor’s degree without practical, experiential, or internship experience (“Class of 2013:”, 2013) • Internship (n): Temporary work placement for an individual who is

given training and knowledge on the job, company, and industry. This can be paid or unpaid, can be for credit or the opportunity can be used to gain additional job experience.

• Tailor existing knowledge to Framingham State University (FSU) students

• Existing FSU internship programs• Community/Hometown Organizations Internships and Cooperative

Education (CHOICE)• Veterans Internship Program (VIP)

Citation: Class of 2013: Majority of graduating seniors took internship or co-op during college career. (2013, June 26). Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/s06262013/internship-co-op-during-college.aspx

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM

• According to Berger (2012), there are five aspects of an internship that help students with their career goals: “hands-on education, networking, resume building, gaining references, and pursuit or elimination” (p. 6). • Why do some students not partake in an

internship experience?

Citation: Berger, L. (2012). All work, no pay: Finding an internship, building your resume, making connections, and gaining job experience. (1st ed.). New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.

SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Why do some Framingham State University students not participate in an internship experience?• Some hypotheses include:• FSU students are not aware of the CHOICE and VIP

programs and therefore do not participate in an internship experience

• Students must work in order to work to pay for school and other expenses and cannot choose experience over pay

• They do not see the value in the experience

EXISTING LITERATURE

• Internship Benefits• Gain skills, confidence, clarify career goals, and learn about the industry firsthand

by applying theoretical knowledge to the field• Realize the value from the experience (positive/negative)• Helps smooth the transition into the real world

• Internship Suggestions• Connection to an academic course: weekly class meetings to allow students to

discuss their experiences, weekly meetings with the faculty internship coordinator, creation and completion of a portfolio, and written reflection papers

• Led by faculty members who are trained in career counseling. By helping students be placed in an internship opportunity, faculty members can bridge any gaps between academia and industry.

• Pre-internship course or internship orientation• Allows students to prepare for their internship experience by fully researching

various internship sites, creating professional materials such as a resume, and can learn to apply classroom knowledge to their future internship experience

• Assessment• Evaluates students’ experiences• Gives feedback and allows changes to existing programs and internship

requirements

SPECIFICS OF THE STUDY

• Who?• Framingham State University undergraduate students

• All students will complete a survey to assess whether or not they have completed an internship experience. Those who have not completed an internship experience will be interviewed for more information

• What?• Digital survey from student volunteers and one-on-one interviews with the

researcher• Survey identifier: FSU ID#• Those who participate in the interview will receive a gift card

• Where?• Framingham State University – various locations on campus to reach more

students• When?

• Fall semester to survey students who just completed a summer internship• Why?

• To find out the specific reasons why students do not complete an internship experience

• To assess students’ internship experience and how to better advertise existing programs and how to encourage more students to complete an internship

CONCLUSION

• Using the data from the survey and interviews, the Career Services and Employer Relations office will be able to assess if they need to provide additional services to students and can find new ways to reach out to students about completing an internship experience.