Internships

An internship is an opportunity offered by an employer to potential employees, usually undergraduate students, to work at a business for a fixed, limited period of time. Internships may be full or part time, and are usually offered for the duration of a school semester or during the summer months.

Internships provide businesses with a wonderful source of employees in today’s tight labor market. One local employer whose business regularly hires interns called the practice “the best job interview we can get.”  Businesses often find that many interns who work for them make ideal permanent employees down the road.

On the flip side, internships connect our higher ed institutions with our business community, and both benefit. Internships offer students a period of practical experience in the industry relating to their field of study. This experience is valuable to students as a means of allowing them to experience how their studies are applied in the “real world”, and as work experience that can be highly attractive to potential employers on a candidate’s resume, and often lead to regular employment with the company the student completed an internship with.

How do you find an intern for your business?  We hope the information offered here will help you do just that!

Our community’s colleges – Bismarck State College, United Tribes Technical College and the University of Mary – have students seeking internships to gain hands-on experience in real-world  setting.  Contact information for each can be found in the “College Contacts” and these individuals will assist you with your internship needs.

Assistance for businesses to offset the costs of hiring interns includes the Operation Intern program and the availability of an Intern Employment Tax Credit.  The “Internship Assistance Programs” page offers links and contact information to learn more about these programs and how to qualify and apply.