PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE

SUPERVISORS

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• Supervisor Information and Expectations

  WHAT IS PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE? / WHAT A PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE IS NOT / WHAT STUDENTS REALLY WANT FROM THEIR PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE / TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY

  Thank you for your interest in working with our UF Plant Science students as they progress through their degree programs and professional development experiences! 

  As you may know from your own work history, internship experiences, working with other students, or just being around new employees, when it comes to career preparation there isn’t much that can match the value of practical work experience: having done the job. The student gains real-world experience in a work environment, supplements their degree program with learning in real-time, and benefits from experienced supervisors who often train and educate students while they simultaneously work as an employee. 

  Our expectations for supervisors working with students in this course are to:

  1. Fulfill the terms of employment as agreed upon hire and provide for student learning opportunities
  2. Meet with the student regularly and provide feedback 
  3. Complete a student evaluation form at the completion of the work experience

  
  Click for more information about PLS 4941, the course our students will receive credit for as part of their experience.

  
  
  

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  What is Practical Work Experience (aka PWE)?

  Practical Work Experience (PLS 4941), is a course that UF/CALS Plant Science majors complete for credits as a part of their undergraduate PLS degree program. Most students complete a traditional work-for-credits internship for their PWE, however, other experiences in which a student engages in an immersive experience with supervision and regular work responsibilities may also count, including study abroad experiences, some service- and project-based learning experiences, work on supervised research projects in university, industry, and other lab environments, and more. Students submit an approval request for prospective work experiences, and when approved by the course instructor they are able to register for PLS4941 and complete work experience hours for credit in addition to meeting learning objectives through successful completion of course requirements. Supervisor responsibilities are relegated to the work environment and they are not responsible for experience approval for credit, student grades, or course requirements. 

  
  The National Association of Colleges and Employers defines an internship as “a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.”  In general, internships and practical work experiences are:

  • time-limited, usually for 15 weeks and occur in alignment with the fall, spring or summer semesters but students are often asked to return and are hired for permanent positions
  • part or full-time; our students are required to complete a minimum of 9-15 hours of work per week depending on their course requirements and may work up to full time as they choose
  • paid or unpaid, unpaid experiences are expected to offer significant value in other ways
  • part of an educational program that is monitored by faculty to award academic credit-this is usually PLS 4941 but other courses may be substituted with approval and many employers offer programs that do not require that the student be enrolled in a formal course
  • different from a regular part-time job or volunteer experience in that there is an intentional learning experience built into the time-this learning agenda may include the development of learning objectives, reflective writing, observation, assigned reading, participation in professional development activities, evaluation and assessment of outcomes and is a part of the PLS 4941 course requirements
  • supervised by a manager or similar individual so that the student is able to experience an employee/supervisor relationship and have an opportunity to engage in professional development through those experiences
  • designed to establish a reasonable balance between the student’s learning goals and the specific work an organization needs
  • selected and developed to promote students’ academic, career and/or personal development

  Adapted from materials published by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE).

  
  
  

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  What a Practical Work Experience is NOT

  
  A position that consists of primarily clerical tasks or manual labor without opportunity for meaningful education or reflection is not considered a desirable practical work experience.  While every job may include some “grunt” work, quality work experiences are designed to maximize student learning and offer students the opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow in a professional work and learning environment. Work in family businesses or taken to “help out” a family member, friend, or partner are generally not appropriate but may be approved on a case-by-case basis if they offer the opportunities mentioned above.

   

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  What Students Really Want from Their Practical Work Experience

  • Work that is meaningful, gives them hands-on experience and produces results that are not only beneficial in developing their skills, but also beneficial to the organization they are serving.
  • Regular feedback on their performance. Don’t wait until the final evaluation.
  • To be exposed to different areas of the organization. Experiences that include rotations through different departments provide a rich learning experience.
  • Clear instructions about work assignments. While the process of a task may seem obvious to you, it most likely isn’t to the student who may have never done that particular task before.
  • To be considered part of your team.  Consider including them in staff meetings and have them provide reports and presentations about their projects.
  • A mentor.  This may be a person who is not their supervisor, but a person willing to come alongside the student and show them the ropes.  A mentor is committed to meeting with the student regularly to process the work experience.
  • An enjoyable and educational experience.

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  To Pay or Not to Pay

  Practical work experiences can be paid or unpaid.  However, to offer an unpaid position to a student you must still follow the Department of Labor’s (DOL) requirements pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.  The DOL has developed a fact sheet for supervisors regarding the requirements needed to justify an internship being unpaid.  This fact sheet can be found at http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf.

  For-profit organizations offering unpaid student intern positions, in addition to meeting the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, must ensure that the student is enrolled in an appropriate academic course.  The student can only serve at the work site for the hours required by the course.  No additional hours can be "volunteered" at a for-profit organization.

  If you pay your student interns you can offer an hourly salary or a stipend.  When offering a stipend for the experience ensure that the amount of the stipend is a minimum equal to minimum wage for the hours worked.

  In addition to salary or stipend, determine if you will provide other benefits such as:

  -Provide housing and relocation assistance.

  -Professional development opportunities such as conferences and seminars.

  -A scholarship upon the successful completion of the work experience program

  The advantages of offering paid internships include a larger pool of candidates (as many students must work to support their education and could not afford to accept an unpaid internship) and a more motivated intern who is eager to learn and wants to make the best impression possible.

  
  
  

  For questions about practical work experiences please contact Dina Liebowitz at dinalieb@ufl.edu. 

  To share an opportunity with our students or to request to be added to our database of opportunities, fill out this form or email dinalieb@ufl.edu or Jeanie Houk at jeanie.houk@ufl.edu.

• Prospective work experience opportunity interest/intake form

• Supervisor Student Evaluation Form