Purpose of Program

The Internship Development Program is designed to provide college-level students an opportunity to gain meaningful work experience in state government. It is an excellent vehicle by which the student can gain an understanding of public service for future career decisions. It is also a means by which state agencies may establish closer ties with Iowa colleges, area community colleges and universities to recruit for future vacancies.

From the Student’s Perspective

More than one way to become an intern

Students may be placed in state internships in more than one way:

· They may be contacted directly by a state agency with an internship through the agency’s existing network with the student’s school.

· They may respond to a listing of internships state agencies are seeking to fill, which is found on the DAS-HRE website at http://das.hre.iowa.gov/state_internships.html. These announcements are typically listed on an ongoing basis by agencies that might have internships available, depending on their needs and the qualifications of the student. Occasionally, a specific time-sensitive internship opportunity may also be listed.

· By completing the State of Iowa Application for Employment, CFN 552-0072 R6/04, including Section 6, “Supplemental Internship Data,” the student may list their name and job preferences on the DAS-HRE website for reference by state agencies seeking interns.

How to apply for an internship

The State of Iowa Application for Employment is available online at the URL listed above. It may also be obtained from school placement offices or from DAS-HRE. If course credit for the internship is desired, the student must also submit a letter from a bona fide academic official at their educational institution attesting to: 1) their major area of study and 2) if the internship is for education program credit or needed for work experience. If for credit, the student’s goals and objectives for the internship must also be included.

Who is eligible to apply?

· Students currently enrolled in an accredited college, university or community college program leading to a degree.

· Students attending schools out-of-state.

Benefits of an internship

Iowa state government uses both paid and unpaid internships. Both types of internships can benefit the student:

· It allows them to have direct work experience with theories and concepts they may have only read or heard about in the classroom.

· It provides them an opportunity to “try out” different types of career options on a short-term basis to determine if these are the occupational directions they want to pursue.

· They can meet and work with specialists and experts in their field of study to gain additional understanding of the occupational or academic area.

· The contacts they make through this work experience may help them find and pursue meaningful job opportunities throughout their career.

· They can directly participate in public service to better determine if they would like to pursue this as a career option in the future.

· By meeting the criteria listed below, the student may apply for future “promotional” vacancies for which they qualify. This allows them to forego competing with non-state employee applicants for the job. This option can be used until the intern is hired; after that, future applications are subject to whatever employment status (probationary, permanent, no longer employed) the person has at the time.

Eligibility to appear on promotional lists

To be eligible for this incentive, the intern must meet the following criteria:

· Successfully complete an internship of 90 calendar days or more.

· With their supervisor, fill out the Internship Completion Data form (CFN 552-0342 R/04). The form must be signed by the supervisor and submitted to the DAS-HRE Internship Development Program Assistant.

From the Agency’s Perspective

From the State’s perspective, internships are valuable investments in the future state workforce. They promote closer, more direct school-to-work relationships that not only expose the agency to current academic thinking but also establish more viable networks with the most likely future recruitment sources. A side benefit is that, while doing meaningful work that relates to their career objectives, interns are an affordable source of staffing for special projects and other short-term work the agency needs to accomplish.

Recruiting and obtaining an intern

There is more than one way to do this:

· Through established networks with school officials, either the intern coordinator in the placement office or professors and instructors in specific academic or technical programs, state supervisors may receive the name(s) of students interested in internships.

· Supervisors may add an intern vacancy announcement to the DAS-HRE website by contacting the Intern Development Program Assistant at 515-281-7207 and submitting a completed Request for Intern List form (CFN 552-0279 R 10/04).

· Through their personnel assistant, supervisors may access the DAS-HRE list of students seeking internships.

· Contact the DAS-HRE Internship Program Coordinator at 515-281-6388 for assistance locating and contacting recruitment resources.

· Occasionally, students will contact the agency directly.

To enhance the meaningfulness of the internship, it is suggested, that at a minimum, the supervisor take these steps:

· Develop a job description for the intern, including major projects or tasks they will be assigned.

· Establish a regular schedule and work hours, although these may vary according to the changing nature of the student’s schedule.

· Determine the results desired of the internship by the agency and how it will be determined it they were accomplished.

· At the start of the internship, review the student’s and the school’s objectives for the internship to be sure they mesh with the agency’s.

· Establish interim checkpoints with the intern to assure the internship is progressing as anticipated, make necessary modifications, clarify objectives, and answer questions. At a minimum, these should occur at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the internship.

Selecting an intern

Should the supervisor have more than one intern applicant to select from, the following factors should be considered:

· Though a formal selection process isn’t necessary, selection decisions should still be based on job-related reasons, e.g., the background of the student selected is most related to the job, the competencies the student will bring to the job will enhance the agency’s productivity or benefit the agency in some other way, etc.

· Respond to the student(s) not selected, thanking them for their interest in the internship.

· The supervisor should complete an Intern Hire Data Form (CFN 552-0343 R 10/04) and, if the intern has not yet completed a State of Iowa Application for Employment, that should be also be completed at this time. Both should be submitted to the DAS-HRE Internship Development Program Assistant at the beginning of the internship.

Paid internships

Paid internship appointments may be made to established administrative intern positions, other established positions or to unauthorized positions (900-positions) (11 IAC–57.6). For paid internship appointments, complete and submit a Special Pay/Appointment Request form (CFN 552-0125) and the appropriate P-1 to DAS-HRE.

Unpaid internships

Unpaid internship appointments do not require authorization from DAS-HRE, but an Intern Hire Data form and completed State of Iowa Application for Employment (if the intern has not yet submitted one to DAS-HRE) should be submitted to the Intern Development Program Assistant to provide DAS-HRE with information about the number and types of internships the State is using.

Successful completion of internship

A student who has successfully completed an internship appointment of at least 90 calendar days may apply for state positions, and, if qualified, be on promotional or all-applicant lists. To be on promotional lists, the intern must be formally enrolled in the Intern Development Program. To enroll the student, the supervisor must complete and submit to DAS-HRE the Internship Completion Data form (CFN 552-0342 R10/04). For any questions concerning enrollment in the program or successful completion of the internship, the Director of DAS has final say.

Other considerations

Internships appointments expire upon attainment of the degree [11 IAC–57.6(1)].

Persons with internship status have no rights of appeal, transfer, demotion, promotion, reinstatement, or other rights of position. Nor are they entitled to vacation, sick leave, or other benefits of state employment. Nor is credit given for future vacation accrual purposes [11 IAC–57.6(2)].