Managers: State Government Student Internship Stipend Program
Purpose
The North Dakota State Government Student Internship Stipend Program is first and foremost an educational program integrated with practical experience. It is an opportunity for a student engaged in a specific course of study to assist an agency with a project or initiative related directly or indirectly to the student’s academic work. It is designed to provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and valuable work experience in state government. Internships can also serve to assist an agency on a temporary basis when an agency needs to fill in for a regular employee who has been deployed or is on extended sick leave for example. Some of the fields that are potentially available for student internships include accounting, agriculture, computer and web technology, corrections, engineering, human services, human resources, laboratory sciences, law, marketing, nursing, and wildlife.
The program is administered by Human Resource Management Services (HRMS), a division of the Office of Management and Budget.
Opportunities for Employers
- To gain a well-trained pool of potential employees
- To gain a source of professional staff
- To reduce the cost of recruiting and training professional staff
- To acquire a new source of new ideas and talent for an agency
- To generate a high retention rate because interns have already worked with the agency
- To observe a potential employee before committing to full-time regular employment of that individual
- To foster a mutually beneficial state agency/university relationship through the internship program. Agencies can have an impact on the structure of academic course work by sharing current business practice with instructors, and working cooperatively to ensure that students have the skills needed in today’s business world.
- To serve as a gateway to show students that they can achieve their career goals in ND State Government; thereby, influencing students to stay in North Dakota.
Opportunities for the Student
- To develop good professional work habits
- To realistically test or explore career objectives
- To achieve smoother transition into full-time employment
- To earn partial funds to support college education
- To learn while earning
- To apply classroom learning to a realistic work setting and earn academic credit
- To gain valuable work experience and professional contacts that will help in seeking employment after graduation
- To observe a potential employer and workplace before accepting full-time employment
Intern Defined
A student intern is a person who is attending an accredited university, college or vocational/technical school and is hired by a North Dakota State Government Executive Branch agency, excluding Higher Education, into an intern position or temporary position as an intern. Student interns are not eligible for leave, holiday, health insurance, or retirement benefits. They may be discharged at any time.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a North Dakota State Government Student Internship, a student:
- Must be currently enrolled in an accredited college, university, or vocational-technical program in the United States, and
- Must be a current full-time student, as defined by that school, in the semester or quarter in which he/she applies for internship, and
- Must be at least of sophomore standing by the beginning of the internship (or must have completed the first year of a vocational/technical program by the beginning of the internship), and
- Must have a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Although any student in the United States meeting the above requirements may apply for internship, preference will be given to those students who are attending a college, university or vocational/technical school within North Dakota and who are North Dakota residents.
Internship Duration
There is no specific length of time an internship can last, although typically an internship would be 3-6 months. Exact starting and ending dates will be arranged between the intern and the hiring agency.
Internships most typically are full time, between the core hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., but can be ¾ or ½ time, depending on the agency’s plan and the student’s schedule.
Compensation
All North Dakota State Government Student Internships under this stipend program are paid, and the hourly wage will be indicated on the position announcement. The wages will be paid by the hiring agency. Partial funding for intern wages may be available through HRMS.
Housing
The State of North Dakota does not provide housing to its interns, nor does the State assume any responsibility for finding intern housing.
Location
The location of the internship will vary with each agency and position, but placement could be anywhere in North Dakota.
Academic Credit
The internship must be taken for academic credit. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their school or advisor to obtain academic credit within the school’s guidelines. HRMS is available to assist the student in coordinating this requirement between the employing agency and the school.
Vacancy Announcements
Internship position announcements will be submitted to Human Resource Management Services from the hiring agency, and the position will be posted on the HRMS Job Vacancy Index webpage, and will also be forwarded to the placement offices of the State’s colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools.
All internship vacancy announcements shall contain:
- Position title
- Salary/wage
- Employment location
- Position’s minimum qualifications
- Expected duration of the internship
- How to apply
- Closing date for applications
- Statement of EEO/ADA compliance
Student Interest
Students that desire internship placement may contact HRMS directly. They should have a current resume and a letter of application indicating the type of internship they are seeking. HRMS can provide guidance to the student in terms of the details of the internship program, and will also forward the student’s information to those state agencies that may provide a possible match with the student’s educational background and interests.
Work Plan
A student intern should not be used as a mere “gopher” or to only perform basic, repetitive clerical tasks such as filing, copying, or delivering mail. The purpose of hiring an intern is to provide the student with knowledge of and professional experience in those job duties and skills within a specific Executive Branch agency of State Government that match their collegiate background. As such, an agency who is interested in hiring an intern must provide a Work Plan, which must include:
- how supervision will occur, and by whom
- the primary work the intern will be doing
- the major tasks to be performed
- knowledge and practical experience expected to be gained by the intern
- specific job duties
- how periodic and final evaluations (including an exit interview) will be performed
Application and Selection of Students
Each student must complete the State Internship Program Application form. A separate application must be completed for each internship vacancy. Applications must be submitted to Kate O’Neill, Human Resource Officer, Human Resource Management Services. The applications will be forwarded to the hiring agency for review. Interview and selection practices of the hiring agency will be followed and will be in accordance with non-discriminatory policies. The agency having the internship position will have the final decision of which, if any, intern will be hired.
Application by State Agency to HRMS for Internship Stipend
Agencies may apply to HRMS for financial assistance from the State Government Student Internship Stipend Program to help fund an intern. Internship positions are generally eligible to receive up to 50% reimbursement depending on budget availability. However, the HRMS Director may make an exception to the reimbursement amount. If requests exceed budget availability, the HRMS director may reduce the amount awarded each internship position or may provide funds based on the State’s priority or needs regarding hard to fill positions.
Agencies identifying hard to fill positions as a reason to provide intern opportunities in the agency must provide that documentation in their application for the student internship stipend when they complete the Student Internship Work Plan.
Funds remaining from any internship term that is not completed must be returned to the HRMS Student Internship Stipend pool, and agencies must notify HRMS in writing.
Sponsorship
At this time, the State of North Dakota does not sponsor international students.
