Student Internships - Impact on Industrial Distribution Program Revisions - University of Nebraska at Kearney

1
Student Internships - Impact on Industrial
Distribution Program Revisions - University of
Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Dr. Stanley L. Lightner
• Dr. Richard A. Meznarich
• January 2006

2
Introduction ID Program
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Established 1991, NAIT Accredited 2002
• Second largest ID program in country (180)
• Hybrid degree Technical, Business, Sales
• Program Focus Objective Technical Sales
• 90 - Outside Sales
• 10 - Inside Sales
• 10 - Branch Management, Procurement, Buyers,
  Operations
• Electrical/Electronics, Building Supplies, MRO
• Graduates Relocate Nationwide

3
Coursework
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Engineering Design Graphics
• Industrial Products Electrical / Electronic,
  Machine Tools, MRO
• Electricity/ Electronics
• Marketing / Accounting / Selling / Business
  Communications / Effective Presentations
• Industrial Management / Leadership in Business
  and Technology
• Occupational Safety Health
• Manufacturer Distributor Relationships
• Industrial Distribution Branch Operations
• Internship Program

4
Internship Program
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Twelve (12) credit hour internship required.
• 40 clock hours work for each credit hour (480
  hours).
• Student responsible to locate internship
  location.
• Internship location requires departmental
  approval.
• Internship Program Involves
• Student (Intern),
• Internship Director,
• ID Program Coordinator,
• Employer

5
Requirements for Internship
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Application form and resume
• Overall GPA 2.0, Department GPA 2.5 or above
• Complete Industrial Management and/or Leadership
  in Business and Technology
• Junior standing (gt 58 hours completed)
• Attend Orientation Meetings

6
Internship Experience Goals
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Customer Service
• Distributor Operations and / or Sales
• Manufacturer sales, Marketing, or Operations
  functions
• Product Management
• Introduction to Business Procedures and Workflow
• Product Training
• Introduction to Administrative and Management
  Procedures

7
SMART Guidelines
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Internship Goals Must be SMART
• S Specific Clearly Stated
• M Measurable Appraise Success
• A Attainable - Realistic
• R Relevant Applicable
• T Trackable Assess progress

8
Internship Benefits
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Student - Transition from school to work
• Employer source of eager (known quantity)
• new employees
• University networking, industry partnerships

9
Student Responsibilities
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Complete all University required documentation
• Locate internship opportunity and apply for
  position
• Develop internship training plan with employer
• Complete daily journal (submit to Blackboard
  weekly)
• Complete mid-term final self evaluation
• Complete Internship Summary Paper

10
Employer Responsibilities
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Commit to UNK internship agreement
• Interview and select students
• Develop Internship Training Plan together with
  student
• Provide a Mentor a single point of contact
• Provide adequate supervision, guidance training

11
Employer Responsibilities
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Provide a safe nondiscriminatory workplace
• Host Internship Director for site visits
• Provide daily oral evaluations to Intern as
  necessary
• Provide written feedback (from mid-term and final
  evaluations) to the Internship Director

12
University Responsibilities
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• ID Program Coordinator Academic Advisor
• Assist in locating internship sites
• Approve internship locations
• Review approve Interns Training Plan
• Provide guidance and advice during internship

13
University Responsibilities
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Internship Director
• Provide student orientation
• Assist in locating internship sites
• Work with the companies / supervisors, Site
  visits
• Assess internship assignments, assign credit
• Maintain internship records

14
Intern Evaluation
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Briefly list each objective from the training
  plan and rate your performance. Keep in mind you
  may not have obtained the level you desire at
  this point in your internship.
• Outstanding (5), Good (4), Average (3), Fair (2),
  Unsatisfactory (1), No Experience (0)
• 1. ____________________________ 5 4 3 2 1 0
• Comments
• 2. ____________________________ 5 4 3 2 1 0
• Comments
• 3. ____________________________ 5 4 3 2 1 0
• Comments
• 4. ____________________________ 5 4 3 2 1 0
• Comments
• 5. ____________________________ 5 4 3 2 1 0
• Comments

15
Intern Evaluation Performance Evaluation-
Productivity
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Volume of work
• Quality of work
• Steadiness
• Knowledge of work
• Interest in work
• Attention to detail
• Organizing efficiently

16
Intern Evaluation Performance Evaluation-
Business Techniques
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Meeting People
• Working harmoniously
• with others
• Telephone techniques
• Following instructions
• Accepting criticism

• Oral communication
• Written communication
• Listening
• Relationship to
• Supervisor
• Relationship with
• Co-workers

17
Intern EvaluationPerformance Evaluation -
Personal
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Cooperation
• Flexibility
• Dependability
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Tolerance for stress
• Independence
• Willingness to work

• Appearance/Dress
• Initiative
• Tact
• Accuracy
• Judgment
• Patience
• Creativity
• Self-Confidence

18
Intern Final Reports
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Provide background of the business
• Review of training plan goals and objectives
• Review of employer evaluations
• Reflection on value of internship experience
• Contributes to Internship Program and Industrial
  Distribution Program assessment and improvement

19
ID Program Improvements
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Negotiation Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Telephone Skills Sales Calls
• Cold Calling - Prospecting
• Time Management Organization Skills

20
ID Program Improvement
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Hands on Products
• Report Writing
• Attitude Adjustments
• Interest in Work (IDO)
• Career Fairs
• Dress and Presentation

21
ID Program Improvements
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• In-Person Sales Calls
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Purchasing Classes
• Sales Experience Retail, Wholesale
• IDO Leadership.

22
ID Program Improvements
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Introductions Elevator Speeches
• Teamwork
• Meeting New People
• Dealing with the Public
• Running a Business Finance
• Industry Partnerships - Scholarships

23
ID Program Improvements
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Leadership Skills
• Psychology Personality Types
• Business Software (MS Office, Access)
• CRM Software (ACT, GoldMine)
• ERP Software (SAP, Profit 21, INforce)
• Role Playing Real Life

24
ID Program Improvements
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Customer Expectations
• Attention to Detail
• Meeting Requirements
• Initiative
• New Electrical / Electronics Equip
• New Machining Equip Rapid Prototyping Equip

25
Conclusions
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Valuable Tool for Program Improvement
• Keep Abreast of Industry Trends / Requirements
• Part of Overall Program Assessment Plan
• NAIT Accreditation
• Data Driven not just Kitty Litter (POM)

26
Recommendations
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Assignments Projects - Activities
• Challenging, Meaningful Student Employer
• Accomplished During Intern Period
• Representative of Companys Operations
• Rotation through Various Positions
• Provide Interaction with Full Time Employees

27
Recommendations
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Assignments - Projects - Activities
• Profitability Studies
• Sales Calls Prospecting
• Asset Management
• Market Research Analysis
• Customer / Supplier Surveys
• Advertising Promotion

28
Want to Learn More?
University of Nebraska at Kearney

• Dr. Stanley L. Lightner, CSIT
• Dr. Richard A. Meznarich
• Department of Industrial Technology
• University of Nebraska at Kearney
• 308-865-8504
• lightnersl_at_unk.edu
• meznarichra_at_unk.edu
• www.unkid.org