BLUEPRINT A WELCOA. Establishing A Worksite Health Promotion Internship Program By Susan P. Chizeck, PhD

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1 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT Establishing A Worksite Health Promotion Internship Program By Susan P. Chizeck, PhD Do you remember how you got your start in health promotion? Maybe you went to school to study health education or sports management. And if you were lucky, while in school, you may have had the opportunity to intern for a health promotion program. It s also possible that your health promotion career began one day when the CEO came into your office and said, We need a health promotion program, get it done! However you came into the field, one thing is for sure, it was the job experience that let you know health promotion was the right field for you. And now that you re a wellness professional, you have an opportunity to give back to your community, and help turn a young person on to a career in health promotion by sponsoring an intern of your own. Can your company use an intern? 1 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

2 Establishing A Worksite Health Promotion Internship Program An intern is a student who is sent out to tie what he or she has learned in school to real world practice, and most wellness education programs encourage or require students to complete an internship. Such a requirement is good for the student, as well as your organization. In fact, over 90 percent of organizations using interns say they re pleased with the students and the work that they do. Read on to learn more about what it takes to create a world-class internship program designed to benefit your organization as well as up-and-coming health promotion professionals. >> What Are The Benefits Of Hosting An Intern In Your Organization? The young professionals taking part in an internship often provide the organizations they re working with A helping hand on projects of all sorts A fresh perspective on organizational challenges Enthusiasm it s all new to them Good publicity for your organization students report back to school and their community about their work with your organization A great recruiting tool how else can you try out a potential employee and cut hiring costs Service to the community A way to give back to education in health promotion A partnership with the university that allows you help establish what students in the field should be studying. 2 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

3 Establish Your Goals The first step in establishing an internship program at your organization is conducting an organizational audit. Distribute a survey asking each person or business unit if they are interested in an intern and what they might like or need an intern to do. Interns can be especially helpful in some of the following areas: Event planning General assistance Technical research (equipment purchases, health issues, etc.) Evaluation of programs Special projects Examine Your Budget And Resources Contrary to what is often thought, an intern isn t simply free labor. There are a number of commitments that need to be made by an employer to an intern to ensure a successful and productive internship for both the student and the organization. A successful internship program requires a number of important resources. Keep the following in mind as you begin your program. Physical resources: Desk space Computer Phone Parking Housing and transportation (optional) Budgetary resources: Salary of intern Cost of physical resources Project costs Time resources Supervision time Support personnel time An organization must decide who pays for each of these resources. Which department provides the physical resources and budget? (Some examples include an HR department, or special projects budget.) Does the supervisor really have the time to be a mentor for the intern? Interns take time for training and oversight, as well as complying with university evaluations. (See Appendix A on page 9.) Most university evaluation processes are not very time consuming; the ones I use take a total of 30 minutes for the entire semester. However, compliance is a big issue: often intern supervisors complain that they don t have time to fill out an evaluation form, or they find that they re too stressed to offer the intern the mentoring they need to be successful. The important thing is to be realistic in what time you have available. 3 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

4 The next step is to prioritize the requests you received from your organizational audit and estimate the costs for each desired internship slot. This information should be presented as a proposal to the level of management with the authority to authorize the internship program. Remember, you must get approval for personnel and budget costs as well as buy-in from as many levels of management as possible especially upper management. A great way to begin a long-term internship program is to start a pilot program for one semester or one year and evaluate the program before making it a permanent part of your organization. One caveat: if your organization is under financial stress or laying people off, it s not a great time to start an internship program! In fact, many established programs are curtailed under such conditions, but can be re-started when the business climate improves. Legal Issues An area often overlooked by many new internship programs is the legal aspect of such programs. The following are some key considerations to keep in mind and to investigate before launching head first into your internship program. Do we have to pay an intern? The simple answer according to the Fair Labor Standards Act is that non-profit organizations and government agencies are not required to pay interns. The Act requires for-profit organizations to pay interns at least minimum wage. Two important related legal classifications are volunteer and worker. By definition, no one can volunteer in a profit-making company. Additionally, there is trainee status, but a trainee is not allowed to do anything of value for a for-profit company without compensation. Despite these requirements, however, some universities insist that the employers sponsoring interns not pay the interns. Now what? The not-so-simple answer is that the law is generally very liberally interpreted. The bottom line is that no one from the Department of Labor is likely to investigate what an intern is doing unless a case is brought involving claims for wages, Worker s Compensation, or sexual harassment. An intern can always win a claim for wages (treble minimum wage) if they are doing anything of value for your company, but there are very few instances where they have made such claims. Moreover, if you do decide to pay your interns, there are no requirements for offering benefits such as vacation pay, sick leave, or health insurance. An important note: Do not attempt to classify interns as Independent Contractors. They clearly don t fall into that status legally because they are learning from you. What circumstances have been accepted by legal experts as permitting unpaid interns? Despite the conflicting regulations set forth for internships in the Fair Labor Standards Act, there are several circumstances which have come to be accepted by the legal community for allowing unpaid internships. These situations stipulate that: The work must benefit the intern in terms of a learning experience The work must be directly related to their studies, with written documentation that the internship is educationally relevant, such as a Learning Agreement (See Appendix B on page 10) signed by 4 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

5 the student, the internship site, and a university faculty internship advisor The intern must receive course credits or fulfill a practicum requirement to graduate The intern and site submit a report to the faculty supervisor The intern cannot do work also performed by employees (and thus serve as an unpaid employee); about half time is the probable limit, though, for similar duties The intern is not guaranteed a job upon completion (so cannot be forced to work for free with the promise of a future job) The intern cannot displace existing workers or directly take on the duties of a fired or laid-off employee (ensuring a regular worker will not be removed and duties assigned to an intern). What liability issues arise with internship programs? If an intern is paid, he or she should be treated in the same way as an employee in respect to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), harassment, and injuries to self or others. If an intern is unpaid, it s important that you work closely with your legal counsel to explore liability issues. Laws and requirements differ from state to state. In terms of confidentiality of data and practices, it may be a good idea to create an agreement form to be signed by the intern and their supervisor stating that the use of proprietary information or processes gained during the internship is prohibited. Lastly, unemployment compensation is generally not available to interns, especially when the intern was hired for a specified period of time as outlined beforehand in an initial internship agreement. What are the general legal responsibilities all parties have concerning internships? Remember, an internship is a partnership between you (the site), the student, and the university. The following list outlines the responsibilities of each partner in an internship arrangement. The student owes: Accurate information about their skills and knowledge Information about any physical or other limitations (such as driving ability) The site owes: A safe environment Adequate supervision Necessary tools and equipment Agreed upon compensation Agreed upon academic processes such as filling out evaluations The opportunity to fulfill academic requirements The university owes: Information it has about student skills and limitations A clear explanation of program requirements Academic support and oversight for the student How To Find An Intern Once you ve explored the feasibility of creating an internship program and have had the necessary program resources approved, it s time to find an intern! How do you get started? Similar to the process of hiring any new employee, the first task is to create a job description. Here are some ideas to get that done. Remember, interns want opportunities to learn and grow, and you want to make your internship as attractive as possible, thus enabling you to recruit the best of the best. Keep the following considerations in mind as you work towards creating a job description for the available positions within your internship program. Work with the future intern s supervisor to decide on the responsibilities and tasks the intern will be responsible for overseeing. Identify the knowledge and skill sets required of an intern to be successful in their position. Include any optional skills (such as computer literacy or a foreign language) that would be helpful to your program. Outline what the intern can expect to learn and take away from his or her experience 5 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

6 with your organization. Also, identify what training will be available for the intern. Consider any special opportunities for the intern such as attending company meetings or professional conferences. Outline the required hours will the intern be part time or full time? Spell out the duration of the internship. Will it last for a semester, a summer, a year, or maybe alternating semesters? If you will be providing a salary to your intern, be sure to include this information in the job description. State what housing or transportation is available for those candidates not living in the area on a permanent basis. Outline the application procedure and contact information. Give a short description of the organization and its mission. Where To Find Interns Since most interns are currently students, the first place to look is where the students are at a college or university. More specifically, begin by talking with someone at the university s career center. Contact them about posting your job/internship description and what departments are best suited to fulfill your needs. But don t stop there! Contact the departments (e.g., health promotion, communications, etc.) most likely to provide you with the candidates you re looking for. Specific departments often work closely with their students and can provide you with the best candidates they have to offer. Also, don t limit yourself to health-related majors. If your main need is for someone to work on event planning or developing written materials, your internship may be better suited for a communications or public relations major with an interest in health promotion. Once your program is ongoing, stay in close contact with the departments supplying your interns. Doing so will help provide a steady stream of applicants each year. For a list of universities with majors in health promotion and related fields, see The A List in the February 2004 issue of Absolute Advantage magazine (Volume 3, Number 3). Professional associations and organizations are great places to advertise for interns. See Appendix C on page 11 for a list of websites related to careers in health promotion and related fields. Often, professional associations are a great place to start. Moreover, there are always the big job listing boards on the Internet, most of which include an internship section (e.g., Before you move beyond the local area, however, think about the practical aspects. Are you in an area where there is plentiful low-cost or short-term housing for interns? Suite hotels often have monthly rates that may work, particularly if you have enough interns to share quarters. Is there public transportation, or will the intern need a car? If these things will be a problem, note the need for a car in the job description. Above all, start the process well in advance. For summer interns, you should begin conducting interviews by March, and for fall interns, you should begin conducting interviews by July. In either case, your ads and postings should be circulating by January. Getting The Intern Started Following your interviews and the selection of your intern(s), you should send them an offer letter reiterating the terms of the job and information on when and where to report. Specify who their supervisor will be and who to contact for information. Most universities need such a letter to approve the internship site for the student. At the beginning of the internship, it is necessary to formalize a learning plan. Most universities will supply a learning agreement, but if not, draft one with the necessary information. For the most part, an internship learning agreement should be formalized within three weeks of the intern s start date. If the student must leave their local area for the internship, it should be done in advance of arrival. This agreement is a legal necessity and will protect all parties by spelling out exactly what is expected of each party. 6 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

7 When constructing a learning agreement, keep the following items in mind for inclusion in the agreement form: Student goals for the internship Site duties and projects assigned Number of credits student will receive Starting and ending dates, work hours Pay rate Any special considerations such as provision of housing Academic assignments to be completed Signatures of student, site supervisor, and university personnel Once you have selected your interns and know when they are coming, you need to organize. Here are some advance tasks to prepare for the intern: Select and prepare the intern s work area. Put the necessary equipment in place such as a computer and a phone. Arrange for security badges, computer access, phone listing, and mail station. Orient new interns on general company policies and procedures. Arrange for intern orientation concerning their special status. Arrange for any equipment training or other orientation materials. Remember, you may be the person developing the materials or doing the training with the intern, so give yourself plenty of time to prepare and spend with the intern on their arrival. Educate supervisors on their roles and what is expected of them. If they do not have the time or inclination to monitor the intern, the intern should be reassigned. You may want to arrange a get-acquainted lunch or meeting to introduce the intern to the rest of the staff. Once the intern is oriented and working on their assigned projects, they will need ongoing supervision. Some guidelines for ongoing mentoring include: Follow up with the supervisor and be proactive about problems. Reiterate the point that if they don t have the time or inclination to monitor the intern, the intern should be reassigned. Make sure the intern is fulfilling the requirements of their academic program. Include the intern in staff and project meetings, even if they are not directly working on these issues, so they get a feel for the mission of the entire unit. You may be surprised at what they can contribute! Have the intern submit periodic progress and project reports. Fill out all university evaluation reports, on time, and discuss them with the intern. At the end of the internship, have the intern fill out a written evaluation of his or her experience (See example in Appendix D on page 12). Or have them give an oral presentation to you and/or the staff on their experience, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the program and what they have learned. 7 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

8 Additionally, following the internship, have the intern s supervisor submit a report, including what could be changed and improved for the next intern. If possible, share these reports with the supervising faculty at the university. Evaluation: Each Semester Gets Better And Better After the student has completed his or her internship, take stock of the situation. Look at the various reports and evaluations completed over the course of the internship. Make program modifications that will improve the next intern s experience as well as your own. Be sure to maintain a partnership with the university or programs that your interns originated from. Let those departments know how they can improve their programs and communications with you. Let them know how to structure their internship program to best meet your needs. What suggestions do they have for you to improve your work with the interns? Did the intern have the skills and knowledge you needed? How could they change their academic program to better prepare their students for the real world? Continuous feedback and program improvements on both sides will produce an optimum experience for all. Conclusion I ve given you the basics for starting an ambitious new program. I ve painted a rosy picture, all the while knowing problems can and will occur. The key is flexibility and incremental improvements. You need to make the modifications necessary for it to work optimally in your particular organization. I ve been in this business for nearly 20 years and am still improving my university program. Do not hesitate to clearly communicate your needs to your colleagues, the interns, and the universities. Ask for advice, learn from your experience, adjust, and try again. Each student and project is a new possibility. Starting an internship program in your organization is a big job with a big payoff. Very soon your program can run smoothly and you ll join the thousands of other organizations that regularly host an intern. For your efforts, you get an enthusiastic, hard-working helper with a fresh perspective on worksite health promotion. Your organization improves its staffing and gives current employees a chance to develop their managerial and project management skills as they work with interns. Your company creates a bigger and better community profile, with new connections to colleges, students, and parents. Who could ask for a better public relations program? You have joined a partnership that benefits both your company and the growth of future professionals. Resources For Further Information The following resources will provide further information on creating an internship program or experiential education Robert Inkster & Roseanna Ross, THE INTERNSHIP AS PARTNERSHIP: A HANDBOOK FOR BUSINESSES, NON- PROFITS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, Raleigh, NC: National Society for Experiential Education, The National Society for Experiential Education has many other useful publications, offers membership to sites, and can be found at 515 King Street, Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22314, , info@nsee.org, About The Author: SUSAN P. CHIZECK, PHD Susan Chizeck, PhD, LPC, CSW- ACP, is Senior Lecturer and Director of Internships in Interdisciplinary Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas. She has a wide background in social sciences and health policy and holds degrees from Rutgers, Stanford, and Princeton universities. She is Editor of the NSEE Quarterly, a journal in the experiential education field. She was a founder and past president of the Holistic Health Association of the Princeton Area (HHAPA), which provided wellness education and materials for over 20 years to the NJ area. In Dallas, she founded Health Roads and HR Associates, which provided wellness and management programs to local businesses. She has presented workshops at many national conferences, including the National Wellness Institute. In addition to teaching, she currently leads exercise classes for senior citizens at Fretz Park Recreation Center. 8 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

9 APPENDIX A Final Employer Evaluation Student s Name: Job Title: Employer: Employer Address: Employer Supervisor: Signature: street city state zip code Phone: If insufficient space is provided for your responses to any of the following questions, feel free to attach an additional page. I. Please evaluate the student on the following scales in comparison to other similarly assigned students or personnel, OR with respect to achievement of objectives. POOR MARGINAL AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT A. Interpersonal relations: Not Well Accepted Highly Cooperative B. Kept agreements: Slow Very Timely C. Judgement: Poor Mature D. Dependability: Careless Highly Reliable E. Learning ability: Slow Rapid F. Quality of work: Poor Excellent G. Punctuality: Irregular Regular H. Ability to teach others: Poor Excellent I. Overall performance: Unsatisfactory Outstanding II. Briefly relate this student s strong and /or weak work habits. III. Would you recommend that this student pursue a career related to this experience, and if so, what additional recommendations would you make to better prepare the student for such a career? IV. What special problems affected this student s performance of objectives, such as inappropriate timing of the experience, deficiencies in the student s training, interaction with the college, etc.? Has this evaluation been discussed with the student? Yes No PLEASE RETURN TO THE DEPARTMENTAL INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR 9 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

10 APPENDIX B Internship Learning Agreement THIS AGREEMENT MUST BE COMPLETED AND APPROVED BY ALL SIGNATORIES BEFORE REGISTRATION CAN BE COMPLETED. This internship agreement is valid only for, year Credits to be earned: STUDENT Name: ID#: Address: street city state zip code Phone: Major: Class Standing: Describe the goals and objectives of your internship: INTERNSHIP/CO-OP SITE Employing Agency: Employer Address: street city state zip code Employer supervisor: Title: Phone: Starting date: Completion date: Internship title: Internship location/date: Hours per week on job: Student s wage: Other reimbursement: Describe work tasks and responsibilities: FACULTY/ADMINISTRATION Faculty coordinator: Dept: Phone: Course number: Credits to be earned: Indicate the following academic requirements that must be completed: Completion of workbook Term paper Project report Maintain journal DUE BY: Faculty supervisor expects to contact student during employment on the following dates: SIGNATURES All parties to the Agreement, we have accepted the responsibilities as stated on this form. Student: Date: Employer: Date: Faculty Coordinator: Date: 10 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

11 APPENDIX C Professional Associations Health Promotion Career Network Founded in 1999, HPCAREER.NET, LLC, has become the leader in delivering online career resources in health promotion, providing real-time advertising services to employers seeking candidates and support to professionals seeking career advancement. HPCAREER.NET provides a custom advertising system, combining and the web, delivering career opportunities direct to thousands of pre-qualified candidates who meet minimum qualifications, and have expressed an interest in that type of job and in that location. Consequently, employers begin receiving responses to their ads by or fax in 24 hours or less, saving much time and cost associated with the advertising and recruiting process. New York University Health Education Professional Resources The Health Education Professional Resources website is a service provided by New York University Health Education Faculty and Students. This website is designed to help health educators access information which may be useful for professional practice. American University National Center for Health Fitness American University's NCHF Career Line contains information about jobs and careers in health promotion related areas. You can search for full-time and part-time jobs as well as internships. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Human Resources Management Office The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the leading federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people at home and abroad providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. Human Kinetics Human Kinetics is the premier knowledge integrator in the physical activity field. They synthesize vast amounts of information into a constantly evolving array of products that utilize current technology to meet the needs of their varied audiences. ASTHO The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is the national nonprofit organization representing the state and territorial public health agencies of the United States, the US Territories, and the District of Columbia. ASTHO's members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to assuring excellence in state-based public health practice. 0ec11d58d8a A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

12 APPENDIX C (Continued) HealthandWellnessJobs.com HealthandWellnessJobs.com was established to provide health and wellness professionals national exposure to employment opportunities specifically in their area of expertise. The mission of HealthandWellnessJobs.com is to provide credible and reliable employment to professionals as they search among organizations, corporations and educational institutions. The website strives to help employers who are seeking professionals in the health and wellness field. The Wellness Connection The Wellness Connection offers a variety of custom designed wellness services to corporations and health promotion professionals. Since 1984, we have managed corporate fitness centers and developed employee wellness programs for such prominent companies as Intel, Verizon, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, OSRAM SYLVANIA, General Dynamics, Titleist and Foot- Joy Worldwide, and the Massachusetts Medical Society A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

13 DA WELCOA BLUEPRINT APPENDIX D Student Internship Experience Evaluation Form Student s Name: Major/Dept: Term/Year: Student s Signature: Placement Site: Employer Supervisor: Dept: This evaluation is requested so that Acme University can monitor its work experience program. Your assistance is appreciated. Evaluation Of Internship Site In your opinion, how well did your supervisor (and other co-workers) interact with you on the following scales? POOR MARGINAL AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT A. Interpersonal relations: Not Well Accepted Highly Cooperative B. Adequate directions: Slow Careful & Complete C. Variety of training opportunities: Very Few Many & Varied D. Expected tasks vs. actual assignments: Expectations Unfulfilled Tasks corresponded to desired experience E. Overall satisfaction with the experience: Evaluation Of Student s Professional Development Please evaluate yourself as to how well you were able to learn and integrate the following skills. POOR MARGINAL AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT A. Interpersonal relations: Not Well Accepted Highly Cooperative B. Kept agreements: Slow Very Timely C. Judgment: Poor Mature D. Dependability: Careless Highly Reliable E. Learning ability: Slow Rapid F. Quality of work: Poor Excellent G. Punctuality: Irregular Regular H. Ability to teach others: Poor Excellent I. Overall performance: Poor Excellent General Evaluation Of The Experience In your opinion, how did your work experience rate in the following areas? POOR MARGINAL AVERAGE GOOD EXCELLENT A. The internship assignment Not related Closely was appropriate for your related career interests B. You felt academically prepared Not related Closely for your placement related 13 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT

14 About The Wellness Councils Of America The Wellness Councils of America is one of North America s most trusted voices on the topic of worksite wellness. With over a decade of experience, WELCOA is widely recognized and highly regarded for its innovative approach to worksite wellness. Indeed, through their internationally recognized Well Workplace awards initiative, WELCOA has helped hundreds of companies transform their corporate cultures and improve the health and well-being of their most valuable asset their employees. If you have further questions, please us at wellworkplace@welcoa.org. Copyright & Disclosure Information may not be reproduced, copied, cited, or circulated in any printed or electronic form without written permission from the publisher Wellness Councils of America, 9802 Nicholas Street, Suite 315, Omaha, NE 68114; phone ; fax ; visit our website at All rights reserved. 14 A WELCOA BLUEPRINT