Giving Student Veterans the Edge through Internships and Co-ops Presented by Shad Satterthwaite, University of Oklahoma

Unemployment: The Big Picture

Unemployment and Veterans

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Some Good News

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Some Good News with a Caveat

Common Explanations for Higher Unemployment among Veterans Poor Health Selection Employer Discrimination Skills Mismatch Job Search

What do employers look for? 43% of companies have a formal GPA threshold (91% had that threshold at 3.0 or higher.) Looking at larger companies only (10,000- plus employees), 63% had a GPA threshold. The most common threshold was 3.0, with 42% of companies explicitly stating that was their threshold. 6% of recruiters stated their firm’s threshold was a 3.5 or higher Source: Sam Korach, Farmer School of Business at Miami University “What employers really look for in recent college graduates,” USA Today, July 22, 2015

What do employers look for? Source: Sam Korach, Farmer School of Business at Miami University “What employers really look for in recent college graduates,” USA Today, July 22, 2015

What do employers look for? Source: Sam Korach, Farmer School of Business at Miami University “What employers really look for in recent college graduates,” USA Today, July 22, 2015

What is an Internship? Part-time work assignment related to major, career of interest, or both. Perform 10 to 20 work hours per week in addition to current semester's course load. Student is selected by an organization to carry out the duties and tasks of an actual position within the organization to gain hands-on experience. Paid and unpaid opportunities. Students will approach internships and search for one in the same way they would a job. There will be a resume to create, interviews to prepare for, and professional etiquette to consider.

What is a Co-op? Opportunity to work in positions related to major field of study. Three versions are available: 1.Alternating: Alternate periods of work with periods of study, usually taken in the fall or spring terms. 2.Parallel: Work and attend college simultaneously on a part-time basis. 3.Summer: Work only during two or more summer periods.

What is an internship/co-op course for credit? Real course offered to students participating in a co-op or internship experience who want to earn academic credit. The course assignments are designed to assist students with communicating in resume form, and/or an interview setting, the knowledge and skills gained from the co-op or internship position, in addition to clarifying career interests and evaluating their experience. Students have a syllabus, assignments, and deadlines like any other course. Graded as S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) credit by the Coordinator in Career Services. Tuition and fee charges still apply. All courses require completion of monthly journals, evaluations by student & supervisor, and a final paper; however, each course may differ with additional requirements.

“The estimates …suggest that work experience gained through student internships increases wages by around six percent five years after graduation. The positive returns are likely to be driven by a higher propensity to work full-time... Further, the empirical findings suggest that graduates who completed an internship face a lower risk of unemployment during the first years of their careers.” Source: Nils Saniter & Thomas Siedler, “Door Opener or Waste of Time? The Effects of Student Internships on Labor Market Outcomes,” IZA DP No. 8141, April Are internships & co-ops effective?

Paid or Unpaid? Unpaid Internship 37% Paid Internship 63% 35% No Internship Hiring rates for students who had: Source: Jordan Weissman, “Do Unpaid Internships Lead to Jobs?,” The Atlantic, June 19, 2013

Source: NACE, 2014 Internship and Co-op Survey, Bethlehem, PA: National Association of Colleges and Employers, April 2014.

Setting Up an Internship Program Start Local Use established state and federal programs Integrating with career fairs

Getting the Word Out Difficulty compiling lists of student veterans Student Veterans Associations Using Career Centers

Paying Interns You don’t have to pay interns who qualify as leaders/trainees. The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined six criteria for determining trainee status: 1)Interns cannot displace regular employees 2) Interns are not guaranteed a job at the end of the internship 3) Interns are not entitled to wages during the internship 4) Interns must receive training from your company, even if it somewhat impedes the work of your organization 5) Interns must get hands-on experience with equipment and processes used in your industry 6) Interns’ training must primarily benefit them, not the company.

Guess which presidential candidate pays Interns? Source: Ethan Wolff-Mann, “Guess Which Presidential Candidate Is Actually Paying Interns,” Time, February 10, 2016http://time.com/money