Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER May 16, 2016 FEATURES 19 STAFFING Five tips on how to set up a meaningful internship program By Steve Titus U npaid internships made headlines again earlier this year after an advoca- cy group representing Canadian students raised concerns over proposed regulations that would allow federally regulated work- places to hire unpaid interns. It was a continuation of a heated debate that saw Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz taken to task for suggesting young people should work for free in order to gain experience. Statistics Canada does not track unpaid internships but lobbyists estimate between 100,000 and 300,000 Canadians work for free. While this has been common practice for years at some major employers, it's only now garnering negative headlines. In 2014, prominent companies such as Bell Canada were forced to end longstanding unpaid intern- ship programs after a crackdown by Ontario's Ministry of Labour. And, recently, the Canadian Foot- ball League (CFL) came under fire for replacing paid employees with unpaid interns who are only given a nominal honorarium. Gains to be had While the conversation remains heated, it should not take away from the value of a good intern- ship program. Eliminating intern- ships is a loss not only to young people but also to the employer. With the right parameters, both the intern and the company can benefit by supporting the intern's career aspirations and as an effec- tive recruitment strategy. Companies can do their part to provide meaningful intern- ship opportunities for this de- mographic of experience-hungry people. Youth are seeing high lev- els of unemployment and find- ing a university degree no longer guarantees a job. Many soon-to- be or new graduates are told they need experience before they can be hired, but then they need a job to get experience. It is a frustrat- ing cycle. Aercoustics Engineering has in- vested time and resources in pro- viding soon-to-be graduates with valuable experience. It's a small company but it still sees the value of investing in people in the early stages of their careers. In 2009, the company launched a paid internship program that places a third-year engineering student in the company for a 16 months before returning to university to complete her final year. e benefits have been two- fold. Beyond providing real-life experience to university students, the program has been an excel- lent source of recruitment. In fact, Aercoustics has retained about half of the interns for permanent, full-time positions. And in a space as competitive as engineering, the internship program gives the company a competitive advan- tage when it comes to securing new talent. For employers considering hir- ing interns, here are five learnings that can help establish a meaning- ful program: Determine needs and the scope for the internship: Do not try to use an internship as a stop- gap to fill a vacant position for a short period of time. Identify the type of projects that could be as- signed to an intern and the role he can play within the team. Make sure you have enough real work for them to do and use their skills appropriately. It's also critical to determine how long the internship will be. It's not fair to expect interns to work with the company indefinitely. Ideally, an intern should stay with the company long enough to gain useful work experience and so the employer can evaluate her capabilities. Treat them like full-time em- ployees: From the outset, ensure both sides have a clear expecta- tion of responsibilities, pay and duration. If an intern knows the expectations, he will be more motivated to work and may gain insight into what professional life may be like at your organiza- tion. To find quality candidates, don't expect interns to work for free. Research labour laws in your province to determine appropri- ate compensation and to ensure the internship respects the law and the interns. Challenge them: Give them tasks they can own and excel at so they have a chance to learn skills beyond what they would learn in the classroom. An internship also provides an opportunity for INTEGRATION > pg. 20

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