Cooperative Work Study Program at Illinois-Urbana Champaign

JENNIFER M. NEEF

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, THE CAREER CENTER

• Increase availability of high quality internships, especially in STEM fields and/or located in east central Illinois

• Expand and strengthen relationships with employers in the State of Illinois, especially small- to mid-sized organizations in east central Illinois

• Assist students and families in meeting the rising cost of higher education through paid internships

• Increase offers of permanent employment in the State of Illinois for new college graduates

Goals of Cooperative Work Study Program at UIUC

Selection of Employers and Students

Selection of employer is based on quality of internship offered• Clearly defined expectations and learning outcomes that are linked to students’

academic major• Opportunities that allow students to put into practice classroom learning, such

as a completion of a meaningful project or contribution to a team• Exposure to career paths within the discipline• Plan to assess student’s performance, strengths, and areas for improvement

Employers recruit, screen, and select eligible students; The Career Center validates eligibility

• 3500+ employers posted 16,000+ jobs and internships• 48% of positions were located in state of Illinois• John Deere, Caterpillar, Allstate, BMO Harris, ADM, Boeing, Navistar are top hiring

companies with headquarters in IL

• 1,301 companies and 18,485 students participated in on-campus career fairs

• 14,000+ on-campus interviews• 35,000+ student engagements with on-campus recruiting events

Connecting to students to opportunities

• 40 interns over past three years• 18 with confirmed employment in state of Illinois• 8 enrolled in school

• 21 employer participants• $190,960 student earnings

• $56,860 grant funds reimbursed to employers

Success of the Cooperative Work Study Program at UIUC

Support local employersEnhance existing relationshipsFocus on the experience being providedAlign with other campus initiatives

Internships at Research Park

Keys to Success of the Cooperative Work Study Program at UIUC