Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
10am – 2pm Eastern
For Nonprofits: $245 per participant (click here to register)
For Profit: $395 per participant (click here to register)
In the current employee-constrained environment, it’s essential for both employers and educational institutions to explore innovative ways to find and develop new talent. By establishing internship programs, employers can proactively address staffing needs, while school counselors and career advisors can help shape and empower younger generations of students.
This four hour certification boot camp includes all of the necessary component pieces to create and manage a successful internship program that meets the needs of your organization and provides a supportive, educational experience for your interns. It gives you the tips and tools to navigate the challenges and obstacles you might encounter.
Your course registration will include a handbook of all needed templates of HR materials, assessments, task lists, effective resources, work plans, and job descriptions to launch a successful program.
Schedule – 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time (1/2 Hour Lunch)
Course Curriculum
Part I – INTRODUCTION: WHY HAVE AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM?
- Deciding whether to host an internship program: How committed are you to the program
- What organizational needs can be met through an internship program: Building a “new talent” pipeline, filling staffing gaps, raising public awareness and community buy-in for your organization
- Deciding on the overall purpose of your program and how extensive you want the program to be
- Is an organized internship program really that important
- What are appropriate learning objectives to include and how will they be measured
- How to maximize the benefit for both supervisors and interns
Part II – FUNDAMENTALS OF AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM and
STRUCTURING YOUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
- Hosting and an Internship program designed to grow interns into full-time employees
- Creating work plans to meet the expectations and experience of your interns – while meeting the needs of your staff
- Choosing Intern duties and tasks that are both challenging and realistic
- Selecting realistic and rewarding time commitments for your Interns
- Keeping the scope of your intern program within the limits of your organization’s bandwidth, human resources, physical capabilities, and financial capacity
- How to encourage all departments within your organization to embrace and support a program
- Determining the appropriate length of a program: Will a year round, summer, or semester-long intern program best support your needs
- Working with colleges and universities to support your program
Part III – FINDING AND SUCCESSFULLY HOSTING INTERNS
Recruiting Best Interns: Marketing your organizations Internship program
- Best resources for reaching your candidate pool: Social media, LinkedIn, college and university career offices, and more
Reviewing Resumes and Interviewing Candidates
- How to identify interns that will support your overall organizational goals
- How to evaluate student resumes to best determine transferrable skills
- Recruiting interns with an eye to future full-time employment
- The intern interview process and how it differs from hiring full-time employees
- Who on your team should be involved in interviewing and hiring interns
Recruiting Diverse and Non-Traditional Interns
- How to cultivate and embrace interns that represent diverse populations and incorporate inclusive plans in your Internship program
- Providing a supportive workplace for non-traditional students, veteran students, and the special needs community
On-Boarding
- Creating a comprehensive orientation for interns
- Explaining expectations and duties
- Introducing interns to your office culture
- Understanding “Gen Z” and the millennial generation and setting appropriate expectations
Part IV – COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LEGAL ISSUES OF INTERNSHIPS and “OFF-BOARDING” YOUR INTERNS
- Understanding whether and how your interns should be compensated, or not
- Developing an equitable compensation package: What types of benefits can your organization offer and how might you increase the perks
- Stipends and college credit
- How do for-profit rules and regulations differ from those of nonprofit organizations
- Meeting employment laws and requirements: A review of the Department of Labor’s Primary Beneficiary Test
- Understanding FLSA compliance
- HR’s role in managing and overseeing your program
Off-Boarding
- Creating meaningful templates for intern assessments
- Offering recommendations and references
- Making the full-time job offer
- How to evaluate the success of your internship program
- Getting good reviews from your Interns and sharing them for future recruiting
CONCLUSIONS AND LAST THOUGHTS
For questions, please email Newswatch Media at register@newswatchmedia.com or call us at (917) 818-0133.