Internships now!

New England Journal of Higher Education, The, Winter 2003 by Sullivan, Mandie

The poor economy has New England companies focused on the bottom line. Many are laying off employees or encouraging early retirement. Most are holding off wage increases and bonuses. Facing reduced profits and sagging market confidence, New England businesses are focused on staying alive. They should also be focused on internships-now more than ever.

Most businesses view internships as community service at best, if not a drain on precious resources. But in fact, employing interns is a smart way to develop a company's future workforce.

The U.S. Labor Department estimates that it costs companies one-third of a new hire's salary to replace an employee. Companies spend valuable time finding, interviewing and selecting prospective employees, then negotiating sometimes-complex benefit packages. After all that, the successful applicant may not even fit in at the company or be productive within a reasonable timeframe. By developing relationships with local high school and college internship coordinators, companies increase their chances of finding the right fit-and at lower cost.

Whether paid or unpaid, interns do not receive normal benefits such as health care or retirement plans. When a company invests wisely in an internship program, the cost of recruitment declines and the return on investment can be enormous. Indeed, the National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests that internships are the most effective method of recruitment among companies hiring college graduates.

To ensure a successful internship experience, a company should explain clearly to the school's internship coordinator the responsibilities and skill sets required for the position. One Rhode Island state government official, asked why he felt internships were not valuable, remarked, "I had no idea what the kid could do, or even what he was interested in, so I had him file papers all day!" Not a rewarding experience for anyone.

Not only do companies gain tremendous energy, inspiration and appreciation from interns, they also find that interns create a positive environment for full-time, permanent employees. Carol Malysz of the Center for Women in Enterprise explains how a summer intern at the center not only developed a marketing plan for the group, but also, in the way she greeted staff and guests, introduced a new sense of family at the nonprofit. Meanwhile, staff members who serve as mentors and coaches to interns learn new management skills.

Many companies find that when they hire a former intern after graduation, they get a valuable, committed employee who knows the company and understands the challenges and possibilities from day one. A summer intern we hired at SilverLight Productions learned structured management skills during his experience and became a good coach for a new batch of interns. He was later promoted to project manager.

In Rhode Island, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce hosts seminars that teach businesses how to run successful internship programs. Panel presentations from companies of all sizes offer first-hand experiences on how to do it right. Among other things, these seminars introduce companies to appropriate contacts at the schools and colleges.

Yet in these difficult economic times, many businesses, large and small are scaling back internship programs. One Rhode Island defense firm admits it will probably halve its number of internships this year. This retrenchment threatens to widen the gulf between business and higher education.

We must find ways to strengthen collaborations, especially internship programs, among a range of parties, including businesses, schools and colleges, government agencies, professional associations, chambers of commerce, parents and the community at large. We may not all speak the same language or have the same perspectives. But we may find that in the end, we have the same goals.

Mandie Sullivan is president of Portsmouth, R.L -based SilverLight Productions.