tutor, and swim instructor. “I did literally everything you could possibly do in the Y as a part-time employee,” he said. Full-time roles followed, and Jason joined the Canandaigua YMCA in 2021. Two years later, the Y moved from its downtown location to the new 75,000-square-foot facility on North Street. Now, he and his management team are building a career ladder similar to the one he ascended. “As it did in so many places, COVID really crushed our workforce. We need to build our own benches,” he said. e Sands Family branch employs about 25 full-timers and 260 part-timers. Internships could lead to part-time work and, potentially, full-time positions throughout the YMCA of Greater Rochester’s association. Jason began a conversation with FLCC President Robert Nye, who serves on the Sands Family YMCA Board of Directors. e Y’s diverse programming provides opportunities for students to earn course credit in several programs, including human services, business administration, and sports management. As with internships at most nonpro ts, these are unpaid, though a SUNY grant provides gas cards and a $695 stipend to qualifying students. Jason met with an internship coordinator and visited a human services class about a year ago. By fall, the Y was ready to launch. Kate, who oversees the program, starts with a screening interview to make sure the Y can provide an experience that meets a student’s needs. “I have a development plan for each intern, and I meet with them once a month so that we’re all on the same page. We talk about operational development, their goals, challenges that they’re running into, and successes,” she explained. Kate and Jason agree that mentorship is critical for any internship program. “We appreciate the openness and the outside-of-the-box thinking of the College. I love that we’re able to put our avor into it, too, and not just give them the hours and say, ‘See you later.’ We’re connecting them to our organization and trying to help them be better people.” YMCA intern Zac Ward of Geneva is an accounting major. Seeking an intern? Four questions for employers What are my goals for this internship? Hiring an intern is an investment. If work needs to be completed quickly with little supervision, an internship may not be the answer. If you can spend time training your intern on a well-defined task, you will both benefit. Interns should feel they are learning and contributing. Do I or a member of my staff have time to handle paperwork and mentor the intern? Interns generally won’t hit the ground running. Carve out time weekly or bi-weekly to meet with your intern to provide feedback and guidance. FLCC asks employers to complete a learning agreement and provide a mid-term or final evaluation or both. How are my own communication skills? Setting clear expectations is critical. This includes reporting times, work schedules, and duties. A supervisor should respond promptly to an intern’s questions and reach out to faculty or staff early with concerns. Students may feel disappointed if their expectations don’t match reality. That is a learning experience, too. If this happens, encourage them to talk with their instructor. What do I need to ask about when I contact FLCC to start an internship? Ask about FLCC’s course requirements, including hours and outcomes. Ask about start and end dates – internships should line up with a semester or summer session. Minimum wage is encouraged, and the state sets requirements for interns at for-profit businesses. SUNY provides a limited number of grants to compensate students in unpaid internships, which is often the case with nonprofits. Continued on the next page
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