Tom Kozicki, executive director of the MBA Career Center at the University of California in Irvine, explains that “[s]ummer internships are a way a small company can get specialized and unique help they otherwise couldn’t get, or couldn’t justify hiring permanently” (quoted in a Wall Street Journal Blog ). Internships need not be limited to summer programs and are not limited to college students. Internships and volunteering are excellent methods for career changers to make themselves indispensable to potential employers.

Funding Source:

• Some universities and colleges place Work-Study students in nonprofit organizations and use Federal Work-Study (FWS) funding to subsidize 75% of the students’ pay. Sec. 675.8 (d) of the FWS Program participation agreement states, ”Award FWS employment, to the maximum extent practicable, that will complement and reinforce each recipient's educational program or career goals”
  
• While Federal guidelines limit the allowable no-pay internships, students earning college credits are generally not expecting high-pay for internships. Forbes.com explains laws pertaining to unpaid internships .
  
• Most colleges and universities receive their research internship funding from Federal grants such as those through the National Institutes of Health . Some public agencies/companies may also be eligible for Federal grant research funding. Interns are often included in research teams.

Helping Businesses and Nonprofits establish successful internship/volunteer programs:

• Six Simple Steps to Develop Your Company’s Internship Program
  
• Guidelines for Establishing Strong and Effective Internship Programs
  
• Internships: Professionals and Students Working Together - from the Society for Human Resource Management 

Locating and publicizing Internship/Volunteering Opportunities:

• Communicate with area education providers to determine the internship needs of their students.
  
• Post job/internship/volunteer fairs on Illinois workNet .
  
• Encourage local key sector companies to post internships on the Illinois workNet Key Sector Business Branding pages .
  
• Most large corporations will have internship opportunities listed on their career sites.
  
• Illinois workNet provides links to volunteer opportunities .

Internship/volunteering opportunities and fairs in Illinois:

• Extensive volunteer information on Illinois workNet site
  
• Volunteer Experience May Help You Land A Job
  
• University of Illinois at Springfield Internship Programs
  
• Internship opportunities through the State of Illinois
  
• State Farm Research and Development Center
  
• University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana: Internship Opportunities
  
• Career and Internship Fairs at the University of Chicago
  
• Waubonsee Community College Job/Internship Fair - April 8
  
• Inroads mission “is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership.”
  
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale Career Services Internship information
  

This pathway uses an interactive map and features Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) offices.

Find resources for individuals and businesses to learn about:

• the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program
• assistive technology resources, services, and health benefits for workers with disabilities
• communicating special needs that can assist a person in a work or training setting
• planning for youth to transition from school to the workplace
• locations that offer specialized services for individuals with disabilities

Next Steps

1. Attend the New Disability Resources Launched Webinar. Register today !
2. Review the guidance and resources on the Workforce Professionals Pathway .
3. Review the disability pathway .
4. Link your site to the new Illinois workNet Disability Resources Pathway using the link to us image .

• guidance on using various Illinois workNet tools,
  
• resources to supplement information on the other Illinois workNet pathways, and
  
• forums to ask questions and share ideas with other workforce professionals.

*Please note that some workforce professionals will not be able to access site administration links since they require a higher access level.