Internship Course Option
Overview
Internships are a great opportunity for students to get real-world experience working in an industry, build professional skills, and develop a clearer sense of self and career goals. Students who will be studying at HELP for all of Fall or Spring semesters and who place into our high intermediate to advanced levels are eligible to apply for HELP’s Internship Course. This special course allows a limited number of students to gain knowledge and skills from an unpaid work experience in a variety of career fields, primarily in the tourism, wedding services, hospitality, or media industries. Students will be able to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to their internship, and receive guided support from an instructor during the course.
Features
- Customized placement into an internship at a pre-selected company for a minimum 40-hours total over 16-weeks
- In-class academic work focused on professional development including resume writing, case study analysis, role-playing workplace scenarios, and goal-setting
- In-depth reflection through weekly journals reviewed by course instructor
- Guided feedback and support
Course Details
Course Expectations
The internship course is demanding and therefore is limited to students at the high-intermediate and advanced level of our program. Students enrolled in the internship course are expected to balance regular coursework with a minimum of 40 hours of internship work over a 16-week period (two 8-terms).
Students work closely with the Internship Coordinator to select an appropriate unpaid internship placement from those available. Weekly class sessions help students learn resume writing and interviewing skills before beginning their internship. Learning Outcomes for the internship are jointly developed by the student, the Internship Coordinator and work-site supervisor. During the course of the 40-hour (minimum) internship, students continue to attend Internship classes to practice the communication and cultural skills needed to be successful in their workplace, and complete written and oral assignments regarding their internship experience. Evaluations are carried out through these assignments as well as measured feedback from the work-site supervisors. A capstone presentation to which representatives from the internship companies and HELP students and staff are invited is the culminating assignment of the Internship Course.
Class Schedule
The Internship course will consist of both class and internship hours, and will be added to the students’ schedule. Below is a sample class schedule for internship students, subject to change.
Sample schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 – 2:00 HELP Academic Classes | 8:30 – 2:00 HELP Academic Classes 2:10-3:15 Internship Class | 8:30 – 2:00 HELP Academic Classes | 8:30 – 2:00 HELP Academic Classes 2:10-3:15 Internship Class | 8:30 – 12:30 Internship |
Internship Placements
HELP has partnered with select businesses in the local community to offer students internship positions. Sample internships have included working with hotels, tour providers, bridal and wedding services, video/media production, fashion design, and marketing and advertising companies.
Sample Internship Duties
Company Type: Tour Provider
Internship Position: Guest Service Agent
Job Duties:
- Check-in and welcome guests for tours
- Respond to guest inquiries in a professional and friendly manner
- Sell tickets to walk-up guests
- Input website reservation orders
- Develop friendly and pleasant atmosphere for guest and coworkers by ensuring work area is safe, comfortable, clean, and attractive
Company Type: Bridal Services
Internship Position: Bridal Services Assistant
Job Duties:
- Assist bridal consultants with dressing brides/customers
- Assist with sales to clients
- Organize wedding gown inventory and bridal accessory display
- Assist in wedding expo preparation/set-up, dressing models for fashion show
- Dress display mannequins according to season/holiday theme
- Assist with social media accounts and blogging
Eligibility
To qualify for the Internship course, students must:
- Meet all of HELP’s academic English program enrollment requirements
- Be registered at HELP for a minimum of 16 weeks (two 8-week sessions)*
- Place into HELP’s 300-level or above
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA in all HELP classes
*Enrollment in the Internship course is currently only available at the beginning of the HELP Fall 1 and Spring 1 terms.
Course enrollment is limited to the number of internship positions available each term. The Internship Coordinator reserves the right to require additional information from students to assess their suitability for the course. Students will be required to pay an additional fee to enroll in the internship course.