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Z University.org Outlines Top 10 Preparation Tips for Successful Internship Programs

Taken from ZU’s Intern Toolkit, top 10 list highlights crucial steps employers must take before interns arrive.

Newtown, PA (PRWEB) February 7, 2007 -- Employers stand to gain a great deal from internship programs, but they must plan thoughtfully to realize their full potential. Z University.org (ZU), a leading advocate of workforce readiness and innovator of internship management solutions, has released the top 10 items on which organizations need to focus to plan for internship programs and achieve sustained success.

With all due respect to the organizations with world class programs, most employers either don’t know what they’re doing, don’t have the tools to do it right or – in most cases – don’t know what they’re missing

We’ve developed the solutions to make it possible for any company of any size or type to put college students to work in all the right ways and prepare these emerging professionals for long-term career success.

The 10 most important aspects to consider when preparing an internship program are:

1) Internal buy-in: Gaining full commitment from everyone involved, especially senior management, is critical to success. This can range from committing proper program resources to educating personnel about how to fully utilize and develop students’ talents.

2) Dedicated Program Manager: One person must assume responsibility for all aspects of the program—a person who is fully qualified to supervise and dedicated to the success of interns and the organization as a whole.

3) Work Inventory: A full inventory of substantive work, including “back-burner” tasks. Get input from various managers, and consult sources such as the Intern Toolkit for project ideas. Among many things, this project pipeline is what defines recruitment goals, program metrics, resource needs, budgeting, and sets the stage to make interns most productive.

4) Budget/Resource Commitment: Determine the amount of work space needed, along with access to computers and other tools. Set a budget based on recruitment costs, compensation, and rewards/incentives.

5) Headcount: Determine how many interns you’ll need based on your assessment of available supervision time, resource commitment and the work inventory. Consider that fall and spring semester interns may only be available 15-20 hours per week, while summer interns may be available full-time.

6) Job description(s): Each position may require a unique set of qualifications (e.g. when an intern is shared among departments). Defining specific responsibilities for each position sets accurate expectations and focuses recruiting efforts.

7) Structure: Organize program materials into a binder or manual for each intern to utilize throughout the program. Establish structure that make the program immune to common challenges like employee turnover and novice managers.

8) Processes: Interns need clear guidance and structure to reduce anxiety and clarify expectations. Provide interns with a forum for safe, clear communication and use supervision tools like work plans and timelines.

9) Training: The best internships go beyond “on-the-job training” to integrate formal orientation and ongoing professional development. The sooner employers build competency, the more productive students will be now and valuable later.

10) Continuous Improvement: Develop performance measurement and feedback tools that will yield insights needed to improve the program on an ongoing basis.

"With all due respect to the organizations with world class programs, most employers either don’t know what they’re doing, don’t have the tools to do it right or – in most cases – don’t know what they’re missing,” asserts Matthew Zinman, president of Z University.org. “We’ve developed the solutions to make it possible for any company of any size or type to put college students to work in all the right ways and prepare these emerging professionals for long-term career success.”

The Intern Toolkit is the first and only complete resource for employers to turn internship programs into a strategic advantage to increase productivity, improve recruitment, and enrich workforce competency. The Toolkit guides users with a step-by-step management system of more than 60 components that combine proven methods with practical tools. Contents are organized in a tabbed spiral binder, and accessible for electronic download, so users can adapt and make its many tools their own.

About Z University.org
Z University.org (ZU) is making internship programs a powerful remedy to close the gap between classroom learning and workplace competency. In addition to its many initiatives to educate, collaborate and advocate, ZU’s primary focus is to innovate solutions that, in effect, remove the barriers for students to gain valuable experience and for employers to gain valuable productivity and better future employees.

Z University developed Intern Toolkit (available online at www.InternToolkit.com) to make it more feasible for employers to create, manage and improve internship programs and all forms of experiential learning. It’s by far the most complete resource to convert student talent and skills into profit for employers and provide vital practical experience and career training for students to succeed as they enter the workforce. ZU is developing more innovative products and resources to fulfill its mission, including a new internship management instructional video based on its “Blueprint for Internship Success” program methodology, which is due for release in late February 2007

Z University.org also established The Internship Institute as a non-profit affiliate to champion positive change in every way possible. The Institute’s leadership advocacy supports initiatives to promote need to make internships mandatory, to treat and compensate interns fairly, and to encourage employers to assume their inherent social responsibility and motivation to put students to work.

The Internship Institute also aims to pursue opportunities that advance experiential education, create scholarship programs for non-paid interns, formalize its intern mentoring curriculum, perform meaningful market research, provide subsidies to other non-profit organizations, and inspire action among employers, students, and academic professionals to improve workforce readiness.

Media Contact
Matthew Zinman, President and Founder
email: NewsInquiry(at)ZUniversity.org, or call 1-877-ZU2GROW (1-877-982-4769)

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.

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