Vermont Internship Professionals Network Welcomes Vermont Futures Project

CareersCliC and the Vermont Internship Professionals Network (VIPN) invited Chad T. Ahern, Director of Research and Education, and Judy Beningson, Research Associate, to their May 23 meeting to give a preview of an upcoming report on internship programs within Vermont’s colleges and universities.

The Vermont Futures Project launched the internship research project based on multiple suggestions that we needed to expose more students attending a Vermont college or university to the state’s employers so they could see potential opportunities to work here after graduation. Some of the findings we shared, include:

• More than 95% of qualified students who seek an internship opportunity secure an internship placement
• 71% of students attending a Vermont college or university engage in an internship or other field work experience (student teaching, clinical practicum, etc.)
• 51% of internship placements occur within Vermont
• A majority of interns are now paid

We also engaged in discussion on:

• How to help employers improve their internships programs and experiences
• The implications of Department of Labor rules and guidelines, and,
• How Vermont’s state government, particularly the Department of Labor and Agency of Education, could potentially collaborate with the Vermont Chapter of SHRM to put on a series of forums across the state to educate employers on internship best practices and changes in internship labor law.

The Vermont Futures Project looks forward to incorporating this feedback as we consider a follow-up research project focused on assessing how employers currently conduct their internship programs, and identifying and consolidating best practices information that could used to improve internship experiences.