Internships and Apprenticeships

Home > Education > Career and Technical Education > Internships and Apprenticeships

Participating in hands-on learning experiences in a workplace setting to gain real-world skills and knowledge.

Types of internships and apprenticeships: An overview of the various types of programs and their differences, including paid vs. unpaid, formal vs. informal, and full-time vs. part-time.
Benefits of internships and apprenticeships: A discussion of the advantages of participating in career and technical education programs, such as gaining hands-on experience, networking, and getting a foot in the door of a chosen industry.
Finding internships and apprenticeships: Tips and resources for locating applicable programs, including job search engines, company websites, and career centers.
Preparing for internships and apprenticeships: An exploration of the steps required to secure a position, including drafting resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, and developing a professional online presence.
Participation and performance expectations: What to expect once in a program, including responsibilities and productivity expectations, feedback and evaluation processes, and goal-setting.
Professionalism: Best practices for navigating the interpersonal dynamics of internships and apprenticeships, including communication etiquette, conflict resolution skills, and workplace boundaries.
Legal considerations: An overview of pertinent laws and regulations, such as minimum wage laws, workplace harassment policies, and industry-specific health and safety regulations.
Skill development: A discussion of how internships and apprenticeships can contribute to developing in-demand skills, including both technical and soft skills.
Portfolio building: Strategies for documenting and showcasing accomplishments and development during internship and apprenticeship experiences, including building an online presence and developing a professional portfolio.
Transitioning to career: Guidance for leveraging internship and apprenticeship experiences to land a job in the industry post-program, including networking strategies and job search approaches.
Paid Internships: Paid internships are positions where interns receive financial compensation for their work, which can be hourly or salaried.
Unpaid Internships: Unpaid internships are positions where interns do not receive financial compensation for their work.
Part-time Internships: Part-time internships are positions that require interns to work for a set number of hours per week.
Full-time Internships: Full-time internships are positions that require interns to work for a set number of hours per week, similar to a full-time employee.
Virtual Internships: Virtual internships are positions where interns work remotely, outside of a traditional office setting.
Summer Internships: Summer internships are positions that take place during the summer months and are often geared towards students.
Graduate Internships: Graduate internships are positions that are specifically designed for recent graduates who are looking to gain experience in their field.
Co-op Internships: Co-op internships are positions that alternate between working and studying, providing students with more hands-on experience.
Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships are positions that offer a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training, with the goal of eventually becoming a skilled worker or tradesperson.
Vocational Education Internships: Vocational education internships are positions that offer hands-on learning experiences in specific career fields, such as healthcare or culinary arts.
Corporate Internships: Corporate internships are positions that take place within large corporations and provide interns with exposure to a variety of business functions.
Non-profit Internships: Non-profit internships are positions that take place within charitable organizations and provide interns with opportunities to help with fundraising, grant writing, and community outreach.
Government Internships: Government internships are positions that take place within federal, state, or local government agencies and provide interns with exposure to civic engagement and public service.
Start-up Internships: Start-up internships are positions that take place within emerging businesses and provide interns with opportunities to experience the intricacies of starting and scaling a company.
- "An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time." - "They are typically undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills and experience in a particular field."
- "Employers benefit from these placements because they often recruit employees from their best interns, who have known capabilities, thus saving time and money in the long run."
- "Internships are usually arranged by third-party organizations that recruit interns on behalf of industry groups."
- "Internships for professional careers are similar in some ways. Similar to internships, apprenticeships transition students from vocational school into the workforce."
- "Interns may be high school students, college and university students, or post-graduate adults."
- "These positions may be paid or unpaid and are temporary."
- "Many large corporations, particularly investment banks, have 'insights' programs that serve as a pre-internship event numbering a day to a week, either in person or virtually."
- "Internships are used to determine whether the intern still has an interest in that field after the real-life experience."
- "In addition, an internship can be used to build a professional network that can assist with letters of recommendation or lead to future employment opportunities."
- "The benefit of bringing an intern into full-time employment is that they are already familiar with the company, therefore needing little to no training."
- "Internships provide current college students with the ability to participate in a field of their choice to receive hands-on learning about a particular future career, preparing them for full-time work following graduation."
- "Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies."
- "The system can be open to exploitation by unscrupulous employers."
- "The lack of standardization and oversight leaves the term 'internship' open to broad interpretation."
- "Internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies."
- "An internship can be used to build a professional network that can assist with letters of recommendation or lead to future employment opportunities."
- "Many large corporations, particularly investment banks, have 'insights' programs that serve as a pre-internship event numbering a day to a week, either in person or virtually."
- "Internships are used to determine whether the intern still has an interest in that field after the real-life experience."
- "The benefit of bringing an intern into full-time employment is that they are already familiar with the company, therefore needing little to no training."
- "Internships provide current college students with the ability to participate in a field of their choice to receive hands-on learning about a particular future career, preparing them for full-time work following graduation."