Setting Up Externships
Dear Susan,
I have been working part time for two years on creating externship relationships with regional employers. Graduates find them very valuable, and we have had a significant number of hires out of the externships. However, it has been a process that has been slow-going, as I use a contractual clinical relationship and maintain malpractice insurance for the participants. The contract has to be approved, and that can take some time due to the various levels of review. Do you have any suggestions for facilitating this process, and crafting relationships that are attractive to employers?
Thanks, Karl
Hi Karl
Sounds like you are doing all the right things to provide a professional externship and cover all bases. Insurance is very important. Suggest that you continually assess all aspects of the program from the student and externship supervisor's point of view. Also follow up with the employer/supervisor. Ask if the student is work ready or if additional training should be added. Ask what can be done to make the program more valuable to both the student and externship sponsor. Once you have a solid relationship you can build the next one with a new sponsor. Like any good relationship, on-going feedback and follow up is vital.
Best wishes
Susan
i've had the same issues working with my school as well. It's not the contract that is the problem, it's the insurance. My company doesnt want to cover the insurance cost...
still working on it.
Barbara Jobin
HI Barbara
Externships are usually important for most training programs. There are many opportunities. It is a way for the workplace to learn about your school, students get experience to put on their resume, some might even be offered a job, you gain good contacts, it's good public relations, it may be the difference between your school and the competition, etc. Given all this it may be cost effective for a school to pay the insurance so externships can take place. Someone just has to gather the information to make a convincing argument.
Best wishes
Susan
I know the insurance is very imporant but would like to be given some insight as to what the insurance covers and how much do we need. Does it depend on the type of extership they are working? Thanks Freda
HI Freda Good point about insurance. Suggest you confer with your insurance agent to discuss this. Also talk with the internship site to determine what they require. Let us know what you discover. Best wishes, Susan
What has been helpful to us for the externships is that we focus on relationships with smaller companies, those that can make immediate decisions.
Because we are trainers in allied health we develop the private practices and small clinics. Not to say not having the bigger companies would be beneficial, but the red tapes can hold you up indefinitely.
Hi WAnda
Really great points about setting up externships and making it as easy as possible. Another benefit is that you get to work out all the problems before going to the bigger clinics.
Best wishes
Susan
Another great reason a student should do an internship/externship, besides for the experiences and line on the resume, would be for a letter of recommendation. A letter of recommendation from the employer of the Intern/Extern is a powerful tool for the student. The employer can write a letter to show performance levels and gratitude. This letter can be very valuable in the job search in an entry level career.
Letters of recommendation are great Rob. We know schools that issue letters of recommendation as well when students complete certain projects. The letters are included in the student's portfolio and gets them accustomed to working for a good recommendation. It's an interesting psychological process with lots of benefits. Encourages students to work hard and they can think about and then see the benefits. We have seen students write their own recommendations. That really gets them thinking. Great idea, Susan
We first, focus on the smaller offices, usually they don't require the insurance coverage and they are usually more open to discussing "free" help in the office. There is always more "red tape" with the larger companies, but beneficial in getting the student hired after externship.
HI Andrea
Interesting observation. Maybe with the small offices it is easier to find and talk with the decision makers. The larger companies may have many decision makers and it takes a while to determine who they are. The larger the organization the more levels of committees or tiers of people who have to make a decision. So things take longer or get lost. Of course there are benefits to working with larger companies so often worth the effort. Thanks, Susan
