Skip to main contentSkip to main navigation
Explore Internships

Internship Information for Employers

Internships are more than short-term opportunities—they’re a proven way to strengthen your workforce. Interns gain valuable real-world skills and experience, while employers identify top talent early. Research shows that companies with internship programs see higher retention rates than those without.

By partnering with Oakland Community College, your business can benefit in multiple ways:

  • Save time and money on recruiting: OCC helps promote internships and provides a free referral service for qualified applicants.
  • Gain fresh perspectives: Interns bring new ideas and innovative thinking to your workplace.
  • Fill short-term needs: Get extra support for busy seasons or special projects.
  • Maximize staff efficiency: Free up full-time employees to focus on higher-level priorities.
  • Strengthen your community profile: Partnering with OCC enhances your reputation as a local employer of choice.

 

Steps to Start an Internship Program

Here are some tips and best practices to help you start an internship program at your company. 

To build an effective internship program you need to be able to answer the "why." Is your goal truly to jumpstart a talent pipeline? Or is it to cross-off some backlogged projects? Or are you interested in mentoring the next generation of professionals?

Once you have established your goals above, you can start to build your internship program. Consider the questions below: 

  • When will your program start and end? Is it a seasonal program, for example? A summer internship program?
  • How many interns would you like to hire, and for which departments?
  • Will your interns work in the office or virtually?
  • What kind of work/duties will your interns perform?
  • What qualifications will you require?
  • How will you enhance your interns' career readiness?
  • Paid or unpaid? Check out naceweb.org/internships for more.

Research the state and federal laws (Fair Labor Standard Act) governing paid and unpaid internships.

Create a comprehensive internship policy to ensure that your interns and managers are on the same page regarding expectations, responsibilities, and benefits.

Your internship program policy will resemble your standard HR policy, including compensation, work hours, and performance evaluations.

Internships build your early talent pipeline. Consider providing interns with mentor(s) or other workplace opportunities to provide coaching and guidance.

The more workplace opportunities you offer the more competitive your internship program will be.

Internships are short term, but when it comes to hiring, it's wise to follow your current standard hiring process: posting job descriptions, screening applicants, conducting thorough interviews, and background checks. 

Plan your interns' time wisely, including training, duties/assignments, performance reviews, and regular check-ins!

When you invest in an internship program, you want to ensure that it's meeting your objectives. Determine your evaluation criteria in advance.

Be sure to survey your interns to collect their feedback and make improvements to your program over time.

Want to learn more? Explore more resources and best practices for starting your internship program. 

 

It All Starts with Handshake

Handshake is our career platform that helps connect local and national employers with OCC students and alumni. Much of our engagement, including posting and searching for student internships, occurs through Handshake. If you are an employer looking to work with OCC Career Services, we highly recommend creating an account.

Get Started with Handshake

 

Contact Information

Email Career Services
Phone: (248) 232-4730

Service Hours:
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Location:
Auburn Hills Campus
B Building - 1st floor