How can universities partner with employers to use internships to develop the next generation of the Idaho workforce? How can we make internships more accessible and impactful for all students?
Partnering for Prosperity
Hear from Idaho employers and the Workforce Development Council about the future of Idaho’s labor market and how universities and businesses can partner to strengthen the Idaho economy. A transcript is available.
Career Accelerator Program
Boise State University Career Services was awarded an innovation grant from the Idaho Workforce Development Council focused on improving student access to high impact internships. Through the Career Accelerator Program, we have provided paid internship opportunities with a career readiness curriculum to almost 300 students, and support to over 100 employer mentors.
Boise State Internship Impact
In total, over the past 5 years, Boise State students have participated in 4964 internships accounting for 623,790 hours worked in the community. 42% of these internships were with for-profit organizations, 38% were government, and 20% were not-for-profit. 49% were paid and 51% were unpaid.
4964
623,790
Idaho Statewide Experiential Learning Summit
In 2024, we brought together almost 100 employers and university representatives from across the state to discuss using internships to develop the next generation of the Idaho workforce.
Through the Idaho Statewide Experiential Learning Summit website, we continue to connect employers to experiential learning programs at Idaho’s colleges and universities.
Our Findings
Building Idaho’s workforce through experiential or work-based learning works best when:
- Universities and employers are co-educators creating impactful experiences
- Universities make it easy for employers to access and host interns
- Students are provided a curriculum that builds career-readiness skills
- Employers make internships accessible to all students by offering paid opportunities
Next Steps
For more information and data about internships, please see the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) internship page.
If you are an employer interested in building or expanding an internship program, you can learn more about the programs offered by Idaho colleges and universities on the Idaho Statewide Experiential Learning Summit website.
If you have questions about how you can partner with Boise State University to strengthen your talent pipeline, or about any of the content on this page, contact the Director of Career Services, Debbie Kaylor, at debbiekaylor@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-4351.
Student Impact
“My internship was extremely influential. I got tons of hands-on experience that I am so thankful for, and I learned things directly that I don’t believe any course could have taught me.”
“It gave me confidence in the fact that this is the career I want to pursue in the future. It gave me the opportunity to gain so many skills and build a network.”
“This internship led to a full time salaried dream job. I’m so grateful for the internship as I learned so much and it made the transition to a full time job very easy.”
“It has influenced possibilities for career options, such as perhaps pursuing teaching or working some facet in education in the future. It has also given me some personal insights into my own abilities as well as working in a new environment.”
“This internship influenced my future academic and career plans by showing viable paths/opportunities.”
“I had such a good time working on this internship. Because this was so hands–on and I got to interact with students, it has made me question if I want to maybe look into becoming a teacher moving forward. Regardless of whether or not I take that route, this internship has given me so much confidence in terms of working with other students and being better at communicating and working with peers and authority figures.”
“It has shown me a new industry I had no idea was out there and made me want to work in this industry. Also, it allowed me to gain significant experience by working under an experienced engineer.”
“I was able to attain a salaried position at the company through my internship.”