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LTW Internships At Their Best
LTW Internships At Their Best
Prior to enrolling in a transfer school or YABC, many students felt invisible, unsupported in various life challenges, or unsafe. When they choose to take on a Learning to Work internship, they find themselves on new terrain. Within an internship, students are known, they are met with attainable challenges, and they have another supportive adult - their internship coordinator - checking in with them along the way. Internships, therefore, provide more than just a line on the resume, but ways to engage students in school and the futures they envision. Our research found that:
At their best, LTW internships help students build skills, explore their interests, earn an income, and gain valuable experience - all within a supportive environment. We found seven qualities that underpin these experiences:
1
Opportunities for students to develop skills. The benefits of skill development are clear to students and employers. At their best, coaching, workshops, and seminars are designed to help students reflect on their workplace and life experiences and cultivate skills for the future, such as:
Career access skills: interviewing, resumes and cover letters, career pathways exploration
Employability skills: workplace navigation, interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and problem-solving, focus on growth, digital literacy
Financial literacy: budgeting, saving, managing cash flow and expenses, future planning, and timely attention to debt
“I learned how to make schedules and have specific times when I should get up for work, get ready, so I won't be late. And I, that actually works for school too… I learned how to talk to adults better." Transfer School student
2
Experiences that align with students’ interests. Staff make efforts to understand student interests and match them with related placements. Even when students can’t pinpoint a specific interest initially, internships help them discover what they like, and don’t like, to do. Students will identify and refine their postsecondary goals based on self-assessment, researching careers, evolving interests and experiences.
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Inclusive and responsive environments. Internship coordinators must take into consideration transportation, time available, and student obligations outside of school. Remote and asynchronous options can give access to students with limited availability.
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Scaffolded challenges, taking into account what students are ready for, and offering opportunities for advancement. Interns are effectively onboarded before placements. Seminars and individual check-ins support development along the way.
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Supportive and culturally competent employers, who understand the program’s purpose and population. They are eager to mentor interns, and provide timely feedback, support, and safe work sites.
"Who is the adult this kid is going to be connected to?....that's the nice thing about the internship is you have another adult in the student's life who's also kind of emphasizing the importance of school and who could be a future reference for another job.” CBO Supervisor
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High expectations, set clearly and upheld consistently. High expectations are regularly communicated to students and caregivers. Interns are expected to maintain school attendance and strong academic behaviors.
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A bridge to meaningful employment, where possible. While internships do not need to end in employment, many LTW students continue to advance in part-time or full-time positions. Other internships provide work experience that make students eligible for other advanced opportunities.
What makes a meaningful internship? Consider two students ready to set off on their first internship. For one, the experience is disengaging, boring, or embittering even. The other has a life-changing experience. What was the difference? Why did one internship flop and the other shine? Which parts are under our control as educators – and how can we design our programs to ensure success? Principal Martin Smallhorne and Program Director, Natalia Alverez-Plaud, at Lehman YABC have thought a lot about these questions. Lehman YABC runs a highly successful internship program, repeatedly identified by LTW stakeholders as impactful. To learn from these two educational leaders, Eskolta met with a focus group of ten students to talk about their experiences. Almost before we could begin students were buzzing with answers: Lehman offered work-based learning that was personally meaningful, provided internships with avenues for growth as individuals, and above all, set clear expectations about how to thrive in one…. Learn more
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