Learn how you can recruit Central Piedmont students for apprenticeships, internships, and work-based learning (cooperative education, or co-op) opportunities at your company.
Students, learn how you can participate in apprenticeship, internship, and work-based learning opportunities.
Apprenticeships are long-term, paid positions that let students earn college credit while getting valuable on-the-job skills at your company.
Apprenticeships combine coursework with paid, on-the-job training at one company over a 12–48 month period. Apprenticeships are an effective recruiting and training strategy for your company, even for jobs beyond the traditional trade skills.
Today, North Carolina's apprenticeship program is under the NC Community College System and coordinated by the Department of Labor. Central Piedmont's apprenticeships offers a customized program to fit your company's business needs.
We typically help employers work with the state to set up an apprenticeship program, particularly in the initial set-up and creation of agreements. Employers with a signed state agreement are ready to begin a registered apprenticeship. With this as a part of your training strategy, you can rely on the college to deliver:
Here is the process for setting up an apprenticeship:
The following scenario is a typical sequence when establishing an apprenticeship program:
Internships are flexible, non-degree work experiences that let current students or recent graduates enrolled in participating for-college-credit or continuing education programs explore a career or gain practical field experience in their field. Positions may be paid (recommended) or unpaid and may be short- or long-term.
Internships can be an effective recruiting and training strategy for your company.
In an internship, the student's work schedule's start and end dates are flexible depending on your needs and the student's schedule; students coordinate a set schedule with you. Students have no minimum hour project requirement. Project work, contract-based, time-based internships can range from a weekend experience to an entire year in length.
Contact the Workplace Learning office to learn more about internships.
Work-based learning (commonly called co-op) is a course in which students earn college credit by spending a semester working with you in a position directly related to their field of study instead of earning credit by attending class in a traditional classroom setting. Positions may be paid (recommended) or unpaid.
Let our students' success contribute directly to your company's success. In work-based learning, students work a specified number of hours over the semester in order to receive college credit. As the employer, you get a unique opportunity to evaluate the student's performance and contribution before making a longer-term commitment. Other benefits include:
Work-based learning courses (WBL) start at the beginning of every semester at Central Piedmont (August, January, and May) and are offered in over 40 programs. Please contact our office 4-8 weeks prior to start the recruiting process.
After partnering with Central Piedmont's work-based learning program, you will not be assigned a student immediately. Hiring a work-based learning student mirrors the hiring process for a new employee. Once the position is approved by the Workplace Learning office, we market the opportunity to faculty and eligible students in the relevant program(s) of study. In order to participate, students must meet minimum requirements, which often includes completion of a specified portion of their program's curriculum prior to the work experience. Students also have to be approved by their Faculty Coordinator. Once interested students apply to the position, you will interview and select the student whom you consider to be the best match according to the needs of your company.
Once you select your student, we ask that you provide students with a supportive work environment to put theory into practice. Supervisors help students develop three learning goals to work on over the course of the semester. In addition, providing regular feedback and completing the employer evaluation at the end of the semester helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses.
You may list the work-based learning position as paid or unpaid, but we strongly encourage you to pay your students. Paid positions typically elicit a greater response from students. Certain programs of study that prepare students for licensure require work experiences to be unpaid. Employers should review the Department of Labor's fact sheet regarding unpaid internships in the for-profit sector (PDF). The Workplace Learning office cannot determine if a business is in compliance with the Department of Labor guidelines. You are not required to provide work-based learning students with health insurance or other employee benefits. You are expected to comply with state laws regarding Worker's Compensation Liability Insurance, and to verify if your policy covers students/interns.
Occasionally, an employer/student partnership does not work out. The Workplace Learning office makes every effort to resolve the situation. We encourage you to contact both the Workplace Learning office and the Faculty Coordinator immediately if you have any issues during the semester.
Central Piedmont is committed to the practice of equal opportunity and non-discrimination in personnel policies and intends that employees of the college and citizens of its service area shall be made aware of this commitment. All matters related to selection, compensation, benefits, promotion, social and recreational programs, and all treatment on the job will be free of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, age, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification.
Discriminatory harassment is any behavior by an individual which improperly singles out, stigmatizes, or victimizes an employee or student to the employee’s or student’s detriment because of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, or handicap. Discriminatory harassment includes, but is not limited to, sexual and verbal harassment.
It is each employee’s or student’s responsibility to ensure that your conduct does not include or imply discriminatory harassment in any form. A participating co-op or Intern of the college can report harassment or suspected harassment to the appropriate faculty coordinator, Workplace Learning coordinator, Workplace Learning director, or the college’s director of equal opportunity. Participants may also want to familiarize themselves with the procedures for reporting and investigating harassment or suspected harassment within their company or agency of employment.
Specific classes require student accident insurance and the fee will be included in the student’s tuition. Coverage starts at the beginning of the term and stops at the end of the term.
Participants enrolled in the human services programs of study must purchase Professional Liability insurance through Central Piedmont. Coverage starts at the beginning of the term and stops at the end of the term.
Employers are expected to provide Worker's Compensation Liability Insurance coverage, as applicable, according to state law.
Co-ops or Internships may be listed as paid or unpaid. When for-profit businesses host unpaid Co-ops or Interns, they should follow the six-point criteria outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor. The Central Piedmont Workplace Learning department cannot determine if a business is in compliance with the criteria.
Federal and state law prohibits a student from collecting unemployment insurance after a paid Co-op ends.
Home-based business owners should contact the Workplace Learning department to see if their business is eligible to host a Co-op or Intern participant.
Our Career Services department manages the student job board, Handshake. You can post your paid internships, jobs, and events for free on this platform.
The following guides can assist you with creating an account and posting your positions on Handshake.
For questions regarding Handshake, email Employer Relations or call 704-330-6588.
Workplace learning is a proven way for companies to ensure that employees have the skills they need now and for the future. This model benefits all stakeholders and supports growth and economic development through the success of our students and our business and industry partners.