A Report From Indiana INTERNnet

STATE OF INDIANA INTERNSHIPS

Developed by Intern Bridge, Inc. June 2009

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“I applied for both of my internships because I wanted experience in the workforce. I wanted to be able to put
something on my resume, and explore a potential career before getting out into the real world. It was nice to earn
money and experience life away from home. I also liked meeting contacts and getting experience outside of the
classroom.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Utilizing internships is an incredibly powerful method For-profit internships are the most popular, with 59% of
used by employers to recruit the brightest talent, students participating in corporate internships. Of the
students to gain critical workplace skills, and govern- remaining, 26% participate in not-for-profit internships,
ment entities to complement workforce development and 15% intern with government agencies on the
strategies. This State of Indiana Internships report local, state, and federal levels. Popular internship
is based on the 2008 National Internship and Co-op industries in Indiana include manufacturing, health
Study conducted by Intern Bridge. The data presented care, education, and technology, with a significant
in the report has been collected from 1,652 students number of internships available within the engineering
attending 20 different universities within the state. field.
Approximately one in five Indiana college students TYPE OF HOST ORGANIZATION
is participating in an internship at any given time. By
the time Indiana students reach their fourth academic 15%
year, at least half will possess internship experience Government
with many students having participated in more than Agencies
one experience.
59%
26%
The following chart shows internship completion by Not-For-Profit
Corporate
Internships
academic status for Indiana college students. Internships

INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION BY ACADEMIC STATUS

100
96.3
88.9 While earning a monetary wage is not paramount in
80 the eyes of a student when it comes to experiential
76.1
education, Indiana students do put slightly more
60 emphasis on receiving a wage when compared to their
peers nationally. However, Indiana students are also
52.8
47.2 10% more likely to receive monetary compensation,
40 and 5% less likely to receive academic credit – a sign
that Indiana employers take internship compensation
20 23.9 seriously. The average internship salary in Indiana is
$12.60 per hour.
11.1
3.7
0
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year
Indiana students participate in a great number of
summer internships, as compared to academic year
Percentage of Students Who Have Completed An Internship
Percentage of Students Who Have Not Completed An Internship
internships. Hoosier students are also most likely to be
employed full-time during their internship experience.
More than 20% of Indiana interns report working
As seen in the chart above, the majority of students more than 40 hours per week during their internship
(52.8%) have participated in an internship program by experience.
the time they reach the first semester of their fourth
year. Indiana college students learn about internship
opportunities by utilizing their personal network
including friends, family and faculty, in addition to
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“He was not afraid to assign me work and set me off on my own to do it. Also, I was given a lot of responsibility right
away, but he was willing to work with me on getting it done. He had a lot of faith in my background, work ethics,
and how well the work would be preformed.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (cont.)

taking advantage of services offered by their campus
career development office. Other methods include
online internship portal, career fairs, on-campus
information sessions, and organization web sites.
Close to 75% of Indiana students report they would
return to their host organization for another internship,
and 85% report they would recommend the position to
their closest friend.
The higher a student’s academic status, the more
likely they are to visit and utilize the services offered
by the career development office. Only 28% of first
year students report visiting the career center to gain
information about potential internships, compared to
53% of fourth year students.
Indiana college students appear to still be in limbo
regarding their decision of whether they will return
home when they graduate. Some students appear
perplexed about whether there are sufficient job
opportunities near where their university is located.
Students are looking for policy makers to implement a
safety net that would ultimately encourage students to
stay in Indiana. Ideas suggested include student loan
forgiveness and a detailed support network designed
to connect employers with students.
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“The organization was a small business, so I was able to learn about the ins and outs of business, from working
the front desk, to running a group session and participating in evaluations.”

DEMOGRAPHICS
The information contained in this report is based on
data collected from the 2008 National Internship and
Co-op Study. The study was implemented in the fall
semester of 2008 on over 300 university campuses
throughout the United States. Over 42,000 responses
were collected from undergraduate students, regard-
less of their academic background or type of institution
they attended. The mission of the research project was
to gather critical internship data from students while
determining their expectations of academic internship
programs, and whether those expectations were be-
ing met.
the survey was completed by students of all academic
status and at varying times during the semester. At any
given time, approximately one in five Indiana college
students is participating in an internship.
The aggregate data shows internship participation
does not vary greatly by gender with 21.4% of females
and 24.7% of males reporting having participated
in an internship. However, it is possible that ethnic
background does play a role into whether or not an
Indiana college student participates in an internship
experience.

The following Indiana institutions participated by

administering the survey to their student populations: INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION BY ETHNICITY
100
96.3
• Ancilla College 86.3 87.5
• Butler University 80
79.0
81.6
77.3
• Calumet College of St. Joseph
69.4
• Earlham College
60
• Franklin College 54.5
• Goshen College
45.5
• Indiana State University 40
• Indiana Tech 30.6
• Indiana University Purdue University
20 21.0 22.7
Fort Wayne 18.4
13.7
• Indiana University, Kokomo 12.5

• Indiana University, Northwest 0

African American Asian Caucasian Latino Native Declined to
• Ivy Tech Community College, Central Indiana American Indian Hawaiian Respond
• Ivy Tech Community College, Northeast
Percentage of Students Who Have Completed An Internship
• Manchester College Percentage of Students Who Have Not Completed An Internship
• Purdue University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Saint Mary’s College
• University of Indianapolis
• University of Saint Francis
• Wabash College

A total of 1,652 students enrolled in the previously

listed Indiana universities and colleges participated in
the survey. Of the total sample, 1,279 students (77.4%)
had not participated in an internship by the time they
completed the survey, while 373 students (22.6%) had
participated in an internship. It is important to note that
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“I wanted to get hands-on work experience in industry to make me more marketable for full-time employment.
I wanted to get as much experience as possible and learn a wide range of techniques and skills so I could work in
many different settings.”

DEMOGRAPHICS (cont.)
MULTIPLE INTERNSHIPS FINANCIAL AID

It is not uncommon for students to participate in more
than one internship during their college experience.
This provides greater exposure to workplace culture,
and contributes to the student’s ultimate success as a
member of the workforce.
Of the students in Indiana who participated in an
internship, 76% of students currently receive financial
aid. This statistic is part of what constitutes the
argument to offer interns monetary compensation, a
topic covered later in this report.

Average Number Of Internships FINANCIAL AID STATUS OF

By Academic Status INDIANA INTERNS
First
1.33
year 24%
Second Do Not
1.28 Receive
year
Financial Aid
Third 76%
1.41
year Receive
Financial Aid
Fourth
1.59
year
Fifth
1.79
year
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“The faculty contact I spoke with was a former branch manager and was a friend with the current branch manager.
He also informed me the current branch manager highly valued interns and their role within the organization.”

DEMOGRAPHICS (cont.)
INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION BY INDUSTRY

The following chart displays a list of industries where interns gained their workplace experience:

Industry Number of Interns Percent

Government 41 11.0%
Manufacturing 32 8.6%
Education/Academia 30 8.0%
Health Care 30 8.0%
Non-Profit 27 7.2%
Technology 23 6.2%
Communications/Media 20 5.4%
Consumer Products 17 4.6%
Finance/Banking 17 4.6%
Social/Human Services 16 4.3%
Consulting 13 3.5%
Arts & Entertainment 13 3.5%
Transportation 12 3.2%
Pharmaceutical 10 2.7%
Accounting 10 2.7%
Energy/Utilities 8 2.1%
Defense 8 2.1%
Environment 7 1.9%
Hospitality 6 1.6%
Retail/Merchandising 6 1.6%
Agriculture/Farming/agribusiness 5 1.3%
Biotechnology 5 1.3%
Legal Services 5 1.3%
Real Estate 5 1.3%
Human Resources 3 0.8%
Insurance 2 0.5%
Telecommunications 2 0.5%
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“He was very supportive and let me come up with new ideas and implement them with little intervention or guidance.
He was determined to make me fully competent in doing the job independently. He is a great mentor!”

DEMOGRAPHICS (cont.)
INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION BY POSITION

The following chart displays a list of departments where interns gained their workplace experience:

Number of Number of
Department Percent Department Percent
Interns Interns
Engineering 77 20.6% Business Development 6 1.6%
Marketing 25 6.7% Computer Drafting and
6 1.6%
Research 25 6.7% Design
Education 23 6.2% Database Management 4 1.1%
Medicine 18 4.8% Farming/Agriculture 4 1.1%
Accounting/Auditing 16 4.3% Fundraising/
4 1.1%
Development
IT/Systems 16 4.3%
Hotel/Restaurant/
Finance 14 3.8% 4 1.1%
Hospitality
Public Relations 13 3.5%
Political Organization/
Counseling 12 3.2% 4 1.1%
Lobbying
Administrative/Support Product Management 3 0.8%
11 2.9%
Services
Actuarial 2 0.5%
Law Enforcement/
10 2.7% Consulting 2 0.5%
Security
Programming/Software
Analyst 8 2.1% 2 0.5%
Development
Sales 8 2.1%
Supply Chain
Law 8 2.1% 2 0.5%
Management/Logistics
Event Planning 7 1.9% Tax 2 0.5%
Human Resources 7 1.9% Technical Support 2 0.5%
Management 7 1.9% Buying/Purchasing 1 0.3%
Operations 7 1.9% Customer Service 1 0.3%
Project Game Design 1 0.3%
7 1.9%
Management
Web Development 1 0.3%

JOB OFFERS

Of the fourth and fifth year students who participated in the survey, 22.9% were offered positions of full-time
employment by their host organizations. It is important to note, however, that the percentage is likely higher.
The survey was administered throughout the fall semester. It is feasible that a student took part in the survey
without being officially notified if they were ultimately going to be offered a position of full-time employment. Of
the same group, 47.1% reported that they were still waiting for a final decision.
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“The contacts I spoke with were extremely interested, polite, and prompt in their responses. I knew that I would not
be filing papers and running errands during the majority of my internship experience.”

PURSUIT OF INTERNSHIPS
REASONS STUDENTS Employers often decline to host interns, or expand an
PURSUE INTERNSHIPS internship program because they anticipate it will cost
them too much money. In particular, they fear they will
The following table represents a list of reasons be unable to offer competitive compensation. The first
students choose to pursue internships. seven reasons students desire to pursue internships
are academic and experiential in nature. While earning
Responses are ranked in the order of most important a wage is important, the opportunity to gain critical
to least important, and sorted by Indiana intern data. workplace experience is far more critical.
The highlighted portion in black illustrates where
Indiana data differs from national data. It does appear Indiana college students place a slightly
higher emphasis on compensation as compared to
Reason Students Indiana National peers on a national basis. Receiving a full-time job
Pursue Internships Colleges* Data** offer also ranks slightly lower. (An interesting side note
is that a higher percentage of Indiana interns received
To gain hands-on monetary compensation when compared to national
1 1
work experience data, a topic which will be reviewed later in this report.)
To learn new skills 2 2
To become better prepared REASONS STUDENTS DO NOT
to be employed in a 3 3 PURSUE INTERNSHIPS
specific field
Gaining an understanding of why students do not
To make professional
4 4 pursue internships is just as important as learning the
contacts for future networking motivation behind the students that ultimately take
To be given a realistic preview part in experiential education.
5 5
of the “World of Work”
To experience work at a The following table represents a list of reasons students
6 6 do not choose to pursue internships. Responses are
potential full-time employer
ranked in the order of most important to least important,
To explore a new organization 7 7 and sorted by Indiana intern data.
To earn money 8 10
To explore a new industry 9 8 Overall, the reasons Indiana students do not pursue
internships mirror that of the national data. The
To receive a full-time job highlighted portion in black illustrates where Indiana
10 9
offer from an employer data differs from national data.
To receive college credit 11 11
To fulfill degree
12 12
requirements
To take part in
13 13
community service
To live in a specific area 14 14

* Indiana Sample: 1,652 Students

** National Sample: 42,967 Students
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“My supervisor made it a point to get to know each of the interns, and gave honest, constructive insight that
opened my eyes to both my strengths as well as those areas in which I need to grow.”

PURSUIT OF INTERNSHIPS (cont.)

Indiana National
Reason Students Do Not Pursue Internships
Colleges* Data**
I do not have time because I have too much school work. 1 1
It is too early in my college experience for an internship or co-op. 2 2
There are no interesting internships or co-ops
3 3
close enough to where I live.
I do not have time because I have too many other jobs. 4 4
I am unclear of the overall benefits of an internship or co-op. 5 6
I do not have time because I am involved
6 5
in too many school activities.
I have applied to at least one internship or co-op,
7 8
but was not offered a position.
I do not have access to transportation, and therefore
8 7
I am unable to get to an internship or co-op.
I already have work experience so I do not understand what I can
9 9
gain from an internship or co-op that I don’t already have.
I do not feel it is necessary to take part in an internship or co-op
10 10
as part of my overall college experience.
I already know where I will be working so an internship or co-op
11 11
has no value to me.
I do not see the value of an internship or co-op for my
12 12
career choice.

* Indiana Sample: 1,652 Students

** National Sample: 42,967 Students
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“I had amazing people to work with and it’s really helped me develop personally and professionally and given me
confidence as I look at graduate school. I think that these experiences are highly worthwhile!”

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
INTERNSHIP PARTICIPATION FULL-TIME
BY SEMESTER VS PART-TIME
TYPE OF HOST ORGANIZATION - TYPE OF HOST ORGANIZATION - FULL-TIME VS PART-TIME - FULL-TIME VS PART-TIME -
INDIANA COLLEGES NATIONAL DATA INDIANA COLLEGES NATIONAL DATA

2.4% 4.4%
WINTER WINTER
16.4% 60.6% 56.7%
FALL 23.6% Full-Time Full-Time
FALL
66.2 15% 58.3
SUMMER SPRING SUMMER 13.7% 39.4% 43.3%
SPRING Part-Time Part-Time

College student participation in internships follows a

notably different pattern than the national average.
NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER WEEK More Indiana students participate in summer
internship programs than the national average, a
NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER WEEK positive factor in the world of experiential education.
50
Summer internships typically provide an opportunity
for an organization to hire a student on a full-time
40
39.9
basis, which ultimately allows the student to gain
37.7 greater workplace experience.
30
A lower number of students appear to participate in
internships during the academic year, which is not
20
20.2 20.4
necessarily a negative situation as it allows students
16.9 17.6 to focus efforts on learning academic theory which can
13.7 12.7 later be adapted to workplace experiences. It is also
10 11.8
9.1 important to note that a slightly higher percentage of
Indiana students participate in full-time internships
0 when compared to the national average.
1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 More than
40 hours
Number of Hours Worked Per Week By Percentage - Indiana Colleges
Number of Hours Worked Per Week By Percentage - National Data
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“While my supervisors did not necessarily give me ‘in-depth feedback,’ they did tell me I was doing a great job on
multiple occasions.”

SUPERVISOR
SUPERVISOR STUDENT EXPECTATION
FEEDBACK FOR SUPERVISOR INTERACTION

Feedback Frequency Percentage Indiana

Weekly 37.9% Comparison Colleges
Mean
Daily 34.9%
Supervisor treats students professionally. 4.56
Bi-Weekly 11.0%
Supervisor provides constructive
Once at the middle and 4.52
8.6% feedback to students.
once and the end of the program
Supervisor provides detailed explanation
Never 6.2% 4.45
regarding assigned tasks.
Just at the end of the program 5.9% Supervisor is available
Monthly 5.6% 4.33
for face-to-face consultation.
Supervisor meets frequently with students
to provide feedback on the quality of the 4.31
STUDENT EXPERIENCE WITH
work produced.
SUPERVISOR INTERACTION
Supervisor works at the same geographic
3.86
location as the student.
Indiana
Comparison Colleges Supervisor is a member of senior
3.55
Mean management within the organization.
My supervisor was available Mean based on a 5-point scale.
4.24
for consultation.
My supervisor provided me with Choosing an effective internship supervisor is one of the
4.13 most important decisions an organization can make.
constructive feedback.
The direct-report relationship an intern has with the
My supervisor treated me
4.39 organization’s representative is critical to determining
professionally and respectfully. the overall outcome of the internship’s success, and
Mean based on a 5-point scale. the likelihood the intern will leave the organization as
an ambassador instead of an adversary.

The majority of interns received feedback on a daily

or weekly basis. It is important for students to receive
informal feedback on a daily basis. Informal feedback
should be followed up by in-depth feedback at least
twice during the internship process. This feedback
should be written and provide an opportunity for not
just students to be evaluated by supervisors, but also
for students to evaluate the internship program. If this
is done at the mid-term and end-of-term, potential
problems can be identified and corrected moving
forward.
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“I found the internship on my school’s web site and I knew that it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. So I took
a shot at it and needless to say it helped me out immensely.”

RECRUITING & MARKETING

TABLE A: TABLE B:
How students expect to learn about How students learn about
internship opportunities internship opportunities
How Students How Students
Indiana National Indiana National
Expect to Learn Learn about
Colleges Data Colleges Data
about Internships Internships
Campus Career Friend or Family
1 3
Development Office or 1 1 Contact
Field Placement Office Faculty Contact 2 2
Career Fair 2 5 Personal Contact 3 1
Faculty Contact 3 4 Campus Career
Internship Fair 4 2 Development Office or 4 4
Campus Internship Field Placement Office
5 3
Information Session Career Fair 5 6
Personal Contact 6 8 Campus Internship
6 7
Online Career Directory Information Session
(Indiana INTERNnet, 7 7 Organization Web Site 7 5
etc.) Internship Fair 8 12
Organization Web Site 8 6 Online Career Directory
Fellow Student who (Indiana INTERNnet, 9 8
was a Past or Current etc.)
9 9
Intern with the Fellow Student 10 10
Organization
Fellow Student who
Friend or Family was a Past or Current
10 10 11 9
Contact Intern with the
Advertisement in Print 11 13 Organization
Fellow Student 12 12 Student Organization 12 11
Organization Advertisement in Print 13 13
13 14
Open House Organization
14 14
Student Organization 14 11 Open House

Table A illustrates the methods in which students expect to find internship opportunities, whereas Table B
illustrates the method in which students actually obtain internships. There is a slight disparity with how Indiana
students expect to find internships when compared to students on a national basis. In particular, Indiana students
appear to put more emphasis on career fairs than average students nationally. In terms of how students ultimately
find internships, Indiana students follow the national trend of utilizing friend, family, faculty and personal contacts
to achieve an internship position.
12

“I was given multiple options, and I chose the one that I thought would be most interesting to me, and most likely
to be something I might want to pursue later in life. The main goal of the internship was to see if the field interested
me, so I chose with that in mind.”

ORIENTATION & OFF-BOARDING

STUDENT ORIENTATION STUDENT ORIENTATION
DESIRED OUTCOMES EXPERIENCES
Indiana Indiana
Student Orientation Student Orientation
Colleges Colleges
Desired Outcomes Experiences
Mean Mean
Receiving training related I was satisfied with the introductions
4.49 4.06
to assignments and tasks. to other employees.
The organization articulates what is I was given adequate training
3.93
expected of students at the outset of 4.47 to complete assignments and tasks.
the internship/co-op experience. I was satisfied with the quality of the
3.86
The organization explicitly articulates the orientation that I received.
projects and assignments of students at 4.28 Actual activities I performed
the outset of the internship/co-op. matched my initial understanding 3.8
The orientation includes a of the nature of the internship/co-op.
4.17
tour of the facility. My work assignments met my expectations. 3.77
The orientation includes an overview The organization effectively articulated
4.17
of the organization’s mission. what was expected of me at the outset 3.77
The orientation includes introductions of the internship/co-op experience.
4.11
to other employees. The organization provided an appropri-
Students are able to articulate their ate farewell for me at the conclusion of 3.77
expectations of the internship/co-op 4.05 my internship/co-op.
to the organization. The activities/projects of my internship/
The orientation includes introductions co-op were made clear to me 3.75
3.78
to other students. from the start of the program.
The organization provides an Mean based on a 5-point scale.
appropriate farewell for students at the 3.41
conclusion of the internship/co-op. Items To Include As Part of An
Internship Orientation
Mean based on a 5-point scale.
Introduction to Copy of
Providing an exceptional orientation is critical for a
successful internship program. Orientation provides co-workers organization chart
organizations with the opportunity to jumpstart Where to gain Employer
the program and set the attitude moving forward. technical help expectations
Overall, Indiana students appear to be happy with the Company policies Dress code
orientation to internship programs. Employers should
be reminded that a key outcome of orientation is having Flexible work schedule Tour of the facility
students posses a true, realistic understanding of the Project timeframes Emergency procedures
work they will be completing during the internship. In Customers/clients Opportunities
addition, employers should consider including items of the organization to network
listed to the right as part of the orientation process.
 13

“He was down-to-earth and didn’t treat me like a temporary employee. He treated me like I was a member of the
team and I was included in all team meetings and events.”

COMPENSATION
MONETARY COMPENSATION

27.6
Did Not
Receive Monetary While receiving monetary compensation is not necessarily a chief concern
Compensation of students who take part in internships, it certainly matters. Employers need
to consider the vast population of college students who simply cannot afford
to take part in unpaid internships. The most competitive internship programs
offer monetary compensation and gain access to the largest candidate pools.
72.4%
Received Monetary
Compensation

STATUS OF MONETARY COMPENSATION - INDIANA

INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY MAJOR

Number of
Academic Major Hourly Wage
Responses
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences $15.00 2
Architecture and Related Services $10.50 1
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies $13.00 1
Biological and Biomedical Sciences $ 9.40 5
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services $11.95 57
Communication, Journalism and Related Programs $ 8.17 3
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services $ 7.00 1
Computer And Information Sciences and Support Services $14.55 14
Education $10.94 8
Engineering $14.54 85
Engineering Technologies/Technicians $18.33 3
English Language and Literature/Letters $ 9.60 5
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences $17.00 1
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics $ 8.50 1
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences $11.70 9
History $11.75 2
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities $10.56 10
Mathematics and Statistics $12.33 8
(table cont. on page 14)
14

“I was paid well and was able to make a lot of networking contacts because I worked with a variety of clients
instead of the typical internship in which the intern only gains contacts from the company he/she interns with.”

COMPENSATION (cont.)
INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY MAJOR (cont.)

Hourly Number of
Academic Major
Wage Responses
Philosophy and Religious Studies $10.50 2
Physical Sciences $10.50 4
Psychology $10.72 6
Public Administration and Social Service Professions $18.00 1
Social Sciences $10.18 8
Visual and Performing Arts $ 8.83 3

INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY INDUSTRY

Hourly Number of
Industry
Wage Responses
Accounting $12.10 8
Agriculture/Farming/Agribusiness $15.00 2
Arts & Entertainment $10.25 6
Biotechnology $15.70 5
Communications/Media - Advertising $10.00 2
Communications/Media - Journalism $ 9.00 2
Communications/Media - Marketing/PR $ 7.67 3
Communications/Media - Publishing/Print Media $12.00 1
Consulting - Environmental $18.50 1
Consulting - Strategic/Change Management $16.00 2
Consulting - Technology $15.63 7
Consumer Products $14.12 17
Defense $15.74 7
Education/Academia $ 9.07 17
Energy/Utilities $15.55 8
Environment $ 9.49 7
Finance/Banking - Brokerage $10.00 1

(table cont. on page 15)

 15

“My supervisor listened to what I said and took my opinions into consideration. Although we talked a lot about
work-related issues, we also talked about things outside the workplace and I enjoyed getting to know him as a
person.”

COMPENSATION (cont.)
INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY INDUSTRY (cont.)

Hourly Number of
Industry
Wage Responses
Finance/Banking - Commercial Banking $ 8.85 2
Finance/Banking - Financial Services/Planning $11.83 6
Finance/Banking - Investment Banking $12.00 1
Finance/Banking - Venture Capital $12.00 1
Government - Federal $12.38 9
Government - Local $10.02 5
Government - State $12.56 5
Health Care $12.45 11
Hospitality $11.25 2
Insurance $15.00 2
Legal Services $20.00 1
Manufacturing $13.06 31
Non-Profit $ 9.35 10
Pharmaceutical $16.11 9
Real Estate $10.00 4
Retail/Merchandising $12.38 4
Social/Human Services $11.05 8
Technology - Electronics $14.14 7
Technology - Hardware $19.88 4
Technology - Information Systems $ 8.00 1
Technology - Internet/E-commerce $ 9.95 2
Technology - Network Administration $13.83 3
Technology - Software $18.13 4
Telecommunications $11.50 2
Transportation $13.88 10
16

“My supervisor gave just the right amount of instruction and was always there if I ever needed help completing a
task.”

COMPENSATION (cont.)
INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY POSITION

Hourly Number of
Position
Wage Responses
Accounting/Auditing $13.05 14
Actuarial $14.75 2
Administrative/Support Services $10.58 6
Analyst $ 9.38 6
Business Development $10.15 4
Computer Drafting and Design $13.00 3
Consulting $16.00 1
Counseling $13.20 2
Customer Service $17.00 1
Database Management $13.25 2
Education $ 9.73 10
Engineering $15.00 73
Event Planning $ 8.50 1
Farming/Agriculture $10.00 1
Finance $13.58 11
Fundraising/Development $ 7.00 1
Game Design $29.20 1
Hotel/Restaurant/Hospitality $ 7.50 1
Human Resources $10.75 4
IT/Systems $11.13 12
Law $13.40 2
Management $10.92 5
Marketing $10.36 18
Medicine $11.73 8
Operations $10.15 4
Political Organization/Lobbying $14.25 2
Product Management $13.50 3
Programming/Software Development $10.50 2
(table cont. on page 17)
 17

“My supervisor allowed me to work independently while giving insight and advice as needed. This approach allowed
to me learn firsthand through actual experience while asking questions and learning from minor mistakes.”

COMPENSATION (cont.)
INDIANA INTERNSHIP COMPENSATION - WAGES BY POSITION (cont.)

Hourly Number of
Position
Wage Responses
Project Management $12.25 4
Public Relations $ 8.13 4
Research $11.96 22
Sales $13.38 4
Supply Chain Management/Logistics $ 9.50 2
Tax $17.25 2
Technical Support $15.00 1
Web Development $18.00 1

COLLEGE CREDIT
Status of College Credit - Number of Credits Received
Indiana vs Nation Indiana
Indiana National Colleges
Colleges Data One 7.7%
Received College Credit 45.8% 51.9% Two 6.4%
Did Not Receive College Credit 54.2% 48.1% Three 63.1%
Four 7.6%
More than Four 15.2%
Pay for Credits
Indiana
Fewer students receive academic credit for their
Colleges internship experience in Indiana than the national
Students who paid average, a possible reflection of the fact that Indiana
83.6%
for college credit also offers more paid internships. Over 80% of students
Students who did not pay who receive academic credit also must pay for those
16.4% credits, a compelling statistic which further shows the
for college credit
importance of paying a monetary wage.
18

“Everyone knew I was there to learn and they took me in and gave me as much experience as possible.”

LEGALITIES OF INTERNSHIPS
The employment law of hosting interns is both vague
and ambiguous. Most of the justice system in U.S.
society is based on case law, decisions made by a
court upon interpretation of written law. There are few
cases throughout the United States involving internship
and labor, and therefore, little solid evidence about the
legalities of hosting interns. The Department of Labor’s
regulatory board made a ruling to help internship
coordinators decide if their interns are employees
(who require compensation) or volunteers (who do not
require compensation.) The Six Prong Test is noted
below. By definition, an internship program fails at
least two of the prongs. Thus, interns must be paid.
Nonetheless, there is little room in the regulations
for programs that fail to provide either monetary
compensation or college credit. In Indiana, 5.6% of
interns report failing to receive monetary compensation
or college credit for their internship experience, as
compared to 11% nationally. In many cases, employers
simply do not understand the legalities involved.
Employers should be educated about the importance
of internship compensation.

It has become customary for some interns to receive

college credit instead of monetary compensation. It
is important to note that this practice has never been
sanctioned or approved by any court or regulating
agency. However, there is no recorded evidence of
any sort of prosecution or penalties being applied.
It is likely that regulatory authorities find no purpose
in ceasing the practice as the long-term benefit of
providing workforce education probably outweighs the
short-term impact of lost wages.

THE SIX PRONG TEST

“Whether trainees or students are employees of an employer under the [Fair Labor Standards Act] will depend
upon all of the circumstances surrounding their activities on the premises of the employer. If all of the following
criteria apply, the trainees or students are not employees within the mean of the [FLSA]:

1) The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that
which would be given in a vocational school;
2) The training is for the benefit of the trainees or students;
3) The trainees or students do not displace regular employees, but work under their close observation;
4) The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees
or students, and on occasion his operations may actually be impeded;
5) The trainees or students are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period; and
6) The employer and the trainees or students understand that the trainees or students are not entitled to
wages for the time spent in training.”

U.S. Department of Labor. Employment Relations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act. WH Publication 1297. Reprinted August 1985.
 19

“The best part of my internship was the exposure to the company and all the information I was given relating to
what my opportunities would be with the company as a full time employee.”

OUTCOMES
WOULD YOU RETURN TO THE
College Credit ORGANIZATION IN INDIANA FOR
Recipients ANOTHER INTERNSHIP/CO-OP?

Indiana Colleges
Mean
I am now better prepared to
4.2
be employed within the field. 26.3%
I was given a realistic preview No
4.2
of the “world of work”.
I established contacts that I
4.0
will network with in the future.
73.7%
Mean based on a 5-point scale. Yes

AS THE RESULT OF YOUR INDIANA

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YOUR INDIANA INTERNSHIP/CO-OP, WOULD YOU RETURN
INTERNSHIP/CO-OP, TO THE ORGANIZATION FOR
TO YOUR CLOSET FRIEND? FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT?

15.3%
No
35.4%
64.6% No
Yes

84.7%
Yes

The vast majority of Indiana interns were satisfied with their internship experience, with almost 75% of interns
reporting they would return to the host organization for another experience, and nearly 85% of interns reporting
they would recommend the experience to friends. The data also shows strong evidence that the internship
experiences of students provides effective preparation for future full-time employment.
20

“I think that an internship should be a part of the requirements for a degree, not just an option. Also, they should
try to promote them more in general. I had to ask my adviser and find out everything for myself. My adviser should
have been the one encouraging me to take part in an internship.”

CAREER CENTERS
Have you visited your university’s career Following are student responses when asked…
center to gain information about taking what could your university’s career center do to
part in an internship or co-op? encourage students to seek internships or co-ops
directly through their office?
Yes No
First ■ “My experience with the university’s career
27.7% 72.3%
Year center has been lack of diligence and promotion of
Second opportunities available to students. I accidently ran
38.5% 61.5% across the site and sought further information at the
Year
career center. I set an appointment but found out
Third that she knew less than I did about the internship
50.1% 49.9%
Year and process of application. I didn’t receive adequate
Fourth support and eventually subsided from my pursuit.”
53.1% 46.9%
Year
■ “I am a freshman in college, so I have a long time
Fifth
48.8% 51.2% to get internships and co-ops; however I would like
Year
to get my experience early so I can build on it. I have
not heard anything regarding internships or co-ops for
either of my majors. It would be a good touch to receive
Do you believe your university prepares
its students effectively to work at an e-mails or newsletters that would inform me and other
internship\co-op site? students who are having the same problem.”
Indiana ■ “Post ads near the entrance of the building or at
Colleges elevators or doorways. They could send an e-mail for
Yes 87.2% a reminder. Classroom instructors should be engaged
No 12.8% in the process as well. I often find myself too busy
studying for the next test or writing my next paper.
Information like internships gets put on the back
The correlation between academic status and career
burner! That doesn’t mean it’s not important, it just
center use is clear. The more advanced a student
means I could use some more helpful reminders.”
is in terms of their academic progress, the more
likely they are to have utilized the services of career
■ “Send out a list of services offered and the process
services. The issues students have with their career
centers are fairly common throughout the United involved with each service. For example, you can
States. There is a general disconnect in academia (service offered) by coming to the career center and
between career centers and student populations. Staff we will have you (process step 1) and then (process
constantly make themselves available to students, but step 2), etc.”
the students don’t necessarily take advantage of the
services until they truly need them (junior and senior
year.) Universities need to ensure they are educating
their student population early about the career services
office, and the important role that the office plays in
the success of a student’s job search later on.

“I just plain DID NOT know about this offer from the university. I don’t even know what to look for in an internship.
Basically, where do I start?”
CAREER CENTERS (cont.)
■ “Lose the rigid adherence to antiquated notions of
academia. Higher education is a commodity, a service,
and industry -- nearly required to enter the workforce.
Beyond certain general education requirements, going
through the motions and pretentiousness of traditional
academia is fruitless to all but academicians, and is a
tremendous waste of student (and state) funding and
time.”
■ “I would have liked more training on the social and
cultural conventions of the workplace - my technical
skills are fine but I have a hard time knowing how to
address my co-workers, what is acceptable to wear,
whether it’s ok to answer a cell call while in my cubicle,
etc.”
■ “Have your counselor each semester remind
students that this is part of the program. Provide
examples of someone who has been through the
program to talk with students. Invite them along for
an hour or two hour shadow while they are doing the
internship.”
■ “Inform students of the benefits of co-op/internships.
I had not heard about them until a professor told the
class about them. By making the information available
online at the campus web site students may be better
informed about openings.”
■ “Maybe have an INTERN 100 class, where
freshman would be placed at a local non-profit or for-
profit business that would sufficiently prepare them for
their field and if they are undecided, that could also
help them to finalize a major.”
■ “Place high value in the opportunity, provide mock
interviews, have faculty provide community contacts
for coops/internships to the office rather than sending
students out without direction, be realistic for non
traditional students.
21
■ “I know a lot of students who had trouble finding an
internship that suited their needs. I think it would be
helpful for the university to advertise that they can help
the student find an appropriate internship.”
■ “Find other students attending the university that
have taken similar internship/co-ops. Most students
or even graduates would be willing to talk about their
experiences with those interested.”
■ “Investigate the companies or organizations where
we can apply and help us decide the one that fits better
with our personal lives.”
■ “Offer classes and educate students on why
internships can be the best decision they will make in
their college career.”
■ “Let us know you are there and what services are
being offered by your department, and how you can
assist students in reaching their goals.”
■ “Tell or show students ahead of time what an
internship entails, so students can work on those skills
ahead of time and be more prepared.”
■ “Let students know how internships can diversify
their portfolio and how internships can create great
opportunities for networking.”
■ “This is the job of academic advisors and the student
should have some idea of what they should expect by
their junior year.”
■ “Continue to have students do career observations
in the workplace so they get a good idea of what their
future job could be.”
22

“Policy makers should use their relationship with the Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses and other
organizations to pursue student internships by offering incentives to those businesses who can in turn compensate
their interns adequately.”

BRAIN DRAIN
Indiana
National
Comparison Colleges
Data Mean
Mean
There are job opportunities in my field of interest. 4.50 4.49
Cost of living is affordable. 4.30 4.29
Housing costs are affordable. 4.26 4.24
There are opportunities to advance my higher education. 4.12 4.12
The geographic location is appealing. 3.84 3.94
The cultural and social scenes are appealing. 3.79 3.86
I would stay in the state where my university is located following graduation
3.78 3.71
if financial incentives could be secured and were tied to me staying.
I would be more willing to stay in the state where my university is
3.71 3.6
located if I was afforded student loan forgiveness.
I believe that there are sufficient job opportunities present in the
3.40 3.48
state where my institution is located.
As a direct result of taking part in an internship or co-op, I would be more likely
3.20 3.19
to stay in the state where my university is located after graduation.
I will stay in the state where my university is located following my graduation. 3.14 3.14
I believe that there are sufficient job opportunities present in the
3.08 3.23
city/metropolitan area where my institution is located.
I have already decided to return home after graduation. 2.75 2.75
Mean based on a 5-point scale.

Brain drain, or knowledge retention analysis, is
important when evaluating the economic impact of
internship and workplace education initiatives. The
responses from Indiana college students reveal
interesting information. Indiana students appear
just as likely to stay in the state when they graduate
compared to students from other states. There appears
to be a disparity in terms of the number of students
who believe there are sufficient job opportunities near
their university’s location.
A common belief is that students make a decision
early in their college careers to return upon graduation.
However, in Indiana that does not appear to be the
case. It seems that students have not yet made up their
mind about returning home – which is excellent news
in relation to future knowledge retention initiatives.
The overall numbers for knowledge retention are in
line with national data.
The open ended responses (a few are noted on page
22) uncover a pattern of opinions from students as
they relate to individual desire to stay in state upon
graduation.
Students gravitate largely towards student loan
forgiveness programs. Overall, students are looking
for policy makers to create a more supportive network
that encourages businesses to hire college students
and connects students with those jobs.
 23

“As a political science major, with interest in foreign policy and international relations, I do not see very many
opportunities within a Midwest state. If the state would provide knowledge of opportunities, it would more entice
me to remain.”

BRAIN DRAIN (cont.)

■ “Create incentives for companies to hire recent
graduates. Finding an employer who is willing to hire
a recent graduate seems to be quite difficult. Pursuing
a higher education and graduating from any institution
of higher learning should have benefits when finding
a job after a degree completion. Students put forth
a great deal of time and effort and have a strong
understanding that the key to a successful future is
through education; so some assistance from the state
where we reside would be of help and that would give
us an incentive to stay in that state, post-graduation.
Also, if there were more assistance provided by the
state to receive a masters degree that would greatly
increase our opportunities to achieve a better place of
employment, place of living and income.”
■ “Not to sound materialistic, but with the economy
slipping like it is — I am very afraid of how I’m going
to pay my student loans. We are told we must attend
college or we’ll have nothing to work with —yet,
without incentives to stay, it just seems like we’re
digging ourselves into deeper holes. We’re thousands
of dollars in debt before we even get a start in the
world. It’s worth it to attend college — I love college —
but if I end up living on the street because I can’t afford
my loan payments, I’ll be wondering if it was worth it.”
■ “The debt burden of school loans will make it nearly
impossible to stay in Indiana. I will more than likely
have to move to another area just so I can afford to pay
my student loans, let alone put a roof over my head.
Additionally, to compete in today’s job market, having
an undergraduate degree is not enough. Consider
grants and state-funded master’s degree programs to
create even a better way for students such as myself
to stay in the state.”
■ “There needs to be more internship opportunities
in smaller communities in my state. Existing
organizations need to be willing to recruit interns on
smaller campuses. While the education is excellent on
those campuses, the opportunities to find internships
and jobs from those campuses are extremely limited
and difficult to obtain. I have actually been locked out
of recruiting sessions on larger campuses.”
Indiana INTERNnet is an internship-matching program linking employers, students, high
schools, colleges and universities by providing both high-tech and high-touch support.

It is a powerful web-based searching, matching and reporting system coupled with personal
assistance, a toll-free hotline and resource materials focused on creating or expanding high
quality internship opportunities within the state.

A PROGRAM MANAGED BY THE INDIANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

115 West Washington Street, Suite 850S

P.O. Box 46926
Indianapolis, Indiana 46244
317-264-6862
866-646-3434 toll-free
www.indianaintern.net