Student Interns
SOWELA Technical Community College provides invaluable experiences to our students by offering internship opportunities in the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Applied Technology, and the School of Industrial Technology.
SOWELA highly encourages students to pursue internship opportunities within their field of study. Students earn valuable hands-on experiences during the internship that are translatable to future full-time employment.
In addition to the internship experience, students can earn academic credit. Three credit hours are awarded for 135 hours worked at the internship site. This page contains many valuable resources for students who are preparing for internship opportunities.
For information on internships in your academic program, please contact the School Dean or the Support Coordinator for your school.
How Do I Find an Internship Site?
Students can use their current employer as an internship site, with faculty approval, or they can search for an internship with a firm that is of interest to them. Each academic program at SOWELA does have a limited number of existing internship sites, if the student is unable to acquire an internship. Ultimately, the responsibility for finding an internship site is on the student, but the Internship Supervisor (faculty member within the School or Department) will assist students in the process.
Why pursue an Internship?
- Internships offer students hands-on learning experiences
- Internships earn students college credit
- Internships are valuable resume’ builders
- Some internships lead to full-time employment
Intern Information
Current SOWELA students interested in earning academic credit for an internship are to follow the procedures listed below:
- Contact your academic advisor, Program Coordinator, or School Dean about internship opportunities. The appropriate person will walk interested students through the internship process and let them know about internship opportunities. Students can only use their current employer as an internship site with appropriate approval from the academic School. Students can suggest internship sites, but the Internship Supervisor (Instructor) must approve the internship site.
- Visit with the Internship Supervisor (Instructor) about the requirements and paperwork necessary to receive academic credit for the internship. Students are to have a firm understanding of the internship requirements before they begin logging hours at an internship site. Students are not to start the internship until the Internship Supervisor has given them permission to begin. The Internship Supervisor must have a completed Internship Site Application (DOCX) before the internship begins. The Internship Supervisor can obtain the application directly from the SOWELA Internship Coordinator.
- Once the internship site has been approved and the Internship Supervisor (Instructor) has been assigned, students are to spend a minimum of 135 hours on the job. Three college credit hours are equivalent to 135 hours on the job. In some cases students might be able to earn more than 3 hours of internship credit with appropriate approvals.
- Students are to complete all of the requirements of the internship. This includes completing the following paperwork by the deadline given by the Internship Supervisor: Time Log, Supervisor’s Rating, Instructor Site Visit, Sample Work, and Student Commentary. Grades are assigned based on the Internship Supervisor’s evaluation of all of the internship requirements. The Internship Supervisor will use the Grading Rubric for Internships (DOCX) to assign the final grade. Paperwork can be obtained on the internship website, from the Internship Supervisor, or from the SOWELA Internship Coordinator.
Internship opportunities offer students hands-on experience with an employer while enrolled at SOWELA. An internship provides valuable experience to help enhance student resumes. SOWELA is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE connects more than 2,000 colleges nationally to employers and employment opportunities. Our NACE membership helps us to keep up with best practices in our internship programs.
Once SOWELA students have completed their internship, they should consider career planning and placement. SOWELA offers career services to all students.
- Internship Site Application
- Complete Grading Rubric
- Time Log
- Supervisor Evaluation
- Student Commentary Grading Rubric
- NACE(opens new window)
- U.S. Department of Labor(opens new window)
- Internships.com(opens new window)
- YouTern(opens new window)
- Interview Tips(opens new window)
- Resume Tips(opens new window)
- Resume & Cover Letter Templates(opens new window)
Faculty Supervisors
SOWELA faculty work very closely with student interns within their respective academic programs serving as the Internship Supervisor. As an Internship Supervisor, your goal is to guide students through their internship journey. To be trained as an Internship Supervisor, please contact your School Dean.
As an Internship Supervisor, a primary objective is to help students take personal responsibility for their internships. Student ownership of the process is key to a successful internship. Students may propose an internship site or you can suggest pre-existing internship sites to students. You have the ultimate authority to approve the internship site to ensure that the goals of the internship meet your programmatic standards.
The Internship Supervisors:
- Approve the Internship Site Application
- Go over the required internship paperwork with student interns
- Oversee the internship
- Submit an Intern Roster to the SOWELA Internship Coordinator
- Communicate regularly with student interns
- Conduct an internship site visit
- Grade the required paperwork for student interns
Supervisor Information
Internship Supervisors are the faculty members who oversee student internships in their respective Schools. Students pursuing an internship will do one of the following:
- Request placement in an already existing internship within their School, or
- Request a new internship site at their current work location or location that interests them.
Upon receiving the request, the Internship Supervisor is required to:
- Attend any mandatory Internship Training provided by SOWELA. If training is not attended, the Internship Supervisor is to make other arrangements with the School Dean or Support Coordinator.
- Approve the internship using the Internship Site Application (DOCX). Once the Internship Site Application is approved by the Internship Supervisor, it is to be submitted to the School Dean. The Internship Supervisor is to ensure that the proposed internship site meets necessary academic rigor and is applicable to the student’s field of study. This will likely include contacting the employer to ensure that the goals of the internship are clear and relevant.
- Go over all the requirements for earning internship credit with the student. All paperwork and rubrics are to be shared and discussed before the student begins the internship. Paperwork can be found on the internship website or requested directly from the SOWELA Internship Coordinator.
- Complete and submit the Intern Roster. The Internship Supervisor is to complete and hold for their records the Intern Roster, which can be found on the internship website.
- Conduct an internship site visit with the student and complete the Internship Site Visit Form. The Internship Site Visit Form (DOCX) is to be held by the Internship Supervisor for their grading records.
- Periodically communicate with the student about how the internship is going. Internship Supervisors are to keep open and frequent communication a priority during the internship. It is highly recommended that the Internship Supervisor encourage the student intern to turn in a weekly schedule either in person or via email.
- Grade the required paperwork from the intern at the end of the semester. Internship Supervisors are to assign a grade to the intern based on the Grading Rubric for Internship (DOCX). A copy of the rubric is to be held by the Internship Supervisor for their grading records.
Internship Employers
SOWELA Technical Community College is proud to build internship partnerships with employers in the Southwest Louisiana region. Internships allow students a hands-on experience in industry that prepares them for their future careers. Internships can be for credit or non-credit based on the student’s degree program or industry certification. Credit internships offer the student academic credit in their major. Non-credit internships typically occur in Workforce Development programs.
Some of our local internship partners include:
- Sasol North America
- Lake Charles Memorial Health
- L’Auberge Casino Resort
- Superior Supply and Steel
- Jennings American Legion Hospital
- Polaris Engineering
- Lakeside Bank
- Coushatta Casino Resort
- McElroy, Quirk, & Burch
- Griggs Mitchell & Associates
- Southwest Beverage Co, Inc.
- Golden Nugget Casino Resort
Employer Procedures
Employers wishing to acquire a current SOWELA student for an internship are to follow the steps below:
- Contact the School Dean or Support Coordinator for the academic program that houses the internship. For a listing of academic programs and contacts, click here.
- Fill out the appropriate paperwork. The SOWELA Internship Coordinator or Internship Supervisor (SOWELA faculty member) will help employers fill out the Internship Site Application (DOCX). In some instances the student might initiate the application. The SOWELA Internship Coordinator or the Internship Supervisor (SOWELA faculty member) will follow-up with the employer to ensure that the goals of the internship are clear.
- Student placement. Employers will receive internship inquiries from the Internship Coordinator or faculty within the School in which the internship is related. Employers may wish to interview students. Once students are placed in an internship, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the employer of the internship requirements for SOWELA. Any questions regarding internship requirements can be directed to the Internship Coordinator. Please note that due to the structure of academic semesters, internships typically occur from September-December, January-May, and June-August.
- Fulfilling internship requirements. Interns are to work a minimum of 135 hours to earn 3 credit hours from SOWELA. The only additional requirements from the employer are to sign the intern’s time log and to conduct a performance review with the intern at the end of the internship. It is the intern’s responsibility to submit the time log and performance review to Internship Supervisor (SOWELA faculty member).
Employers wishing to acquire a current SOWELA student for a non-credit internship are to follow the steps below:
- Contact the School Dean or Support Coordinator for the academic program that houses the internship. For a listing of academic programs and contacts, click here.
- Fill out the appropriate paperwork. The SOWELA Internship Coordinator will help employers fill out the Internship Site Application (DOCX). In some instances the student might initiate the application. The SOWELA Internship Coordinator or the Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development will follow-up with the employer to ensure that the goals of the internship are clear.
- Student placement. Employers will receive internship inquiries from the Internship Coordinator or the Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development. Employers may wish to interview students. Any questions regarding internship requirements can be directed to the Internship Coordinator.
- Fulfilling internship requirements. Interns are to satisfactorily complete the internship requirements agreed upon with the employer. The only additional requirement from the employer is to conduct a performance review with the intern at the end of the internship. It is the intern’s responsibility to submit the performance review to the Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development.