Training Plan Development: Challenges Of Hosting An International Internship Candidate
Al Lostocco
April 09, 2009
www.internship4america.com
In my previous column entitled "Interviewing & Screening Interns: Challenges Of Hosting An International Internship Candidate" which can be found here, I discussed some of the key considerations to be mindful of when you are conducting an international interview. These items should help you avoid some of the consequences that can occur from not understanding the international internship job market. As part of this process you will need to develop a training plan. The plan has four purposes. These are:
1. The plan will be used first as part of your interviewing process to convey to your candidate what s/he can expect to learn while participating in your program.
2. The plan will become a permanent part of the documents you will be required to produce to the sponsoring agency* who will authorize this individual to participate in your program.
3. The plan will be part of the documents that the candidate will have to present to the US Embassy in his home country to authenticate the program.
4. The plan will serve as your method of insuring that the candidate receives the agreed upon training. Further should any discrepancies occur the document could be used as verification that the training was administered.
Lets go into the elements of the plan and the questions you need to answer as part of this process. The training plan has been formalized by the State Department you will need to go here to locate the form and download the PDF.
1. On the left hand side of the form is a Check one box:
a. This looks like a simple unassuming box it is far from it. Your choice here is critical so you must understand the difference
i. Trainee: is a candidate with either 5 years related experience or a graduate (In the training field of study) with at least 1 year related work experience.
ii. Intern: is an enrolled student or a recent graduate within one year, with little or no experience.
2. Participant Information
a. Name of Trainee and the Trainee Category: Trainee category can be as simple as: Human Resources, Hospitality, IT, Mechanical Engineering, etc.
3. Site of Activity Information
a. (You are the Host) Name of Business, Name of the Trainee´s supervisor, Supervisors Title, Complete Address, Telephone No., Fax No., Email Address?
i. Duration rules for a Training Program: (12months max for hospitality, 18 months max for all other programs) Note: goes in the box noted as Dates of Program
ii. Is the Training intended to be Full-time; if not how many hours per week is expected of the trainee
iii. Compensation Per Hour (You will need to clarify if housing, board and/or transportation will be offered). You will need to reduce all this down to an hourly rate or monthly amount
4. Contract Agreement
a. This is an agreement between you and the trainee/intern agreeing to the attached training/internship Placement Plan
5. Training/Internship Placement Plan
a. For the training plan to be acceptable the plan should cover a definite period of time and should consist of definite phases of training or tasks performed with specific objectives for each phase. Here is the Key point the regulations require a minimum of three (3) rotations. This can be through three department or function for each rotation or function you must provide the following information. On the form each rotation is called a Phase
i. Name Of The Phase: in this box you will note the rotation or the function (e.g. Back of the house function or accounts payables). Next you add the dates of the training and which phase it is.
ii. Specific Objectives For This Phase: in this box you describe what the trainee/intern will be introduced to while in this phase of his or her training.
iii. Skills To Be Imparted For This Phase: Here you will describe what the trainee/intern should learn and should emerge with from this training.
iv. Justification For On-The-Job Training: What needs to be explained here is how the functions being taught requires hands on doing in order to gain proficiency and competence. As an example you need to work at the front desk of a hotel in order to gain competence in handling guest services. You cannot learn this from a book Here you should also explain whether the trainee will participate in training seminars, on-the job training and/or observational methods.
v. Chronology Or Syllabus Of Training or Tasks Performed During This Phase: Here you will need to break the training down into a logical progression of training. As an example for an accounting major who´s first rotation is accounts payable you will want him or her to learn what the different accounts payable forms look like before the individual learns what the next step in the process of handling an accounts payable function for the company.
vi. Method of Evaluation And The Frequency Of Supervision During This Phase: What they are looking for here is that the supervisor will provide guidance, mentoring, and counseling and will be periodically meeting with trainee formally and informally. You should also include the frequency of evaluation. What they are also looking for is that at the midpoint and end you will evaluate the performance of the trainee. The sponsoring agency you end up using will also require this, will dictate their expectations and send out evaluation forms to you and to the trainee.
This will serve as the trainee´s assurance on what s/he can expect to learn from you. It will also serve as the framework and guidelines of your program.
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me directly at lostocco1@internship4america.com. If you would like to review some of my other articles on instituting an internship program you´ll find them listed at www.internship4america.com. If you have had a similar experience I would like to hear about it.
Look for my next article entitled: Documentation Requirements & Preparation: Hosting An International Internship Candidate. Soon to be released.
Alexander H. Lostocco
* Sponsoring Agency: A US State Department approved organization that can issue a DS-2019 required to obtain a Visa
In my previous column entitled "Interviewing & Screening Interns: Challenges Of Hosting An International Internship Candidate" which can be found here, I discussed some of the key considerations to be mindful of when you are conducting an international interview. These items should help you avoid some of the consequences that can occur from not understanding the international internship job market. As part of this process you will need to develop a training plan. The plan has four purposes. These are:
1. The plan will be used first as part of your interviewing process to convey to your candidate what s/he can expect to learn while participating in your program.
2. The plan will become a permanent part of the documents you will be required to produce to the sponsoring agency* who will authorize this individual to participate in your program.
3. The plan will be part of the documents that the candidate will have to present to the US Embassy in his home country to authenticate the program.
4. The plan will serve as your method of insuring that the candidate receives the agreed upon training. Further should any discrepancies occur the document could be used as verification that the training was administered.
Lets go into the elements of the plan and the questions you need to answer as part of this process. The training plan has been formalized by the State Department you will need to go here to locate the form and download the PDF.
1. On the left hand side of the form is a Check one box:
a. This looks like a simple unassuming box it is far from it. Your choice here is critical so you must understand the difference
i. Trainee: is a candidate with either 5 years related experience or a graduate (In the training field of study) with at least 1 year related work experience.
ii. Intern: is an enrolled student or a recent graduate within one year, with little or no experience.
2. Participant Information
a. Name of Trainee and the Trainee Category: Trainee category can be as simple as: Human Resources, Hospitality, IT, Mechanical Engineering, etc.
3. Site of Activity Information
a. (You are the Host) Name of Business, Name of the Trainee´s supervisor, Supervisors Title, Complete Address, Telephone No., Fax No., Email Address?
i. Duration rules for a Training Program: (12months max for hospitality, 18 months max for all other programs) Note: goes in the box noted as Dates of Program
ii. Is the Training intended to be Full-time; if not how many hours per week is expected of the trainee
iii. Compensation Per Hour (You will need to clarify if housing, board and/or transportation will be offered). You will need to reduce all this down to an hourly rate or monthly amount
4. Contract Agreement
a. This is an agreement between you and the trainee/intern agreeing to the attached training/internship Placement Plan
5. Training/Internship Placement Plan
a. For the training plan to be acceptable the plan should cover a definite period of time and should consist of definite phases of training or tasks performed with specific objectives for each phase. Here is the Key point the regulations require a minimum of three (3) rotations. This can be through three department or function for each rotation or function you must provide the following information. On the form each rotation is called a Phase
i. Name Of The Phase: in this box you will note the rotation or the function (e.g. Back of the house function or accounts payables). Next you add the dates of the training and which phase it is.
ii. Specific Objectives For This Phase: in this box you describe what the trainee/intern will be introduced to while in this phase of his or her training.
iii. Skills To Be Imparted For This Phase: Here you will describe what the trainee/intern should learn and should emerge with from this training.
iv. Justification For On-The-Job Training: What needs to be explained here is how the functions being taught requires hands on doing in order to gain proficiency and competence. As an example you need to work at the front desk of a hotel in order to gain competence in handling guest services. You cannot learn this from a book Here you should also explain whether the trainee will participate in training seminars, on-the job training and/or observational methods.
v. Chronology Or Syllabus Of Training or Tasks Performed During This Phase: Here you will need to break the training down into a logical progression of training. As an example for an accounting major who´s first rotation is accounts payable you will want him or her to learn what the different accounts payable forms look like before the individual learns what the next step in the process of handling an accounts payable function for the company.
vi. Method of Evaluation And The Frequency Of Supervision During This Phase: What they are looking for here is that the supervisor will provide guidance, mentoring, and counseling and will be periodically meeting with trainee formally and informally. You should also include the frequency of evaluation. What they are also looking for is that at the midpoint and end you will evaluate the performance of the trainee. The sponsoring agency you end up using will also require this, will dictate their expectations and send out evaluation forms to you and to the trainee.
This will serve as the trainee´s assurance on what s/he can expect to learn from you. It will also serve as the framework and guidelines of your program.
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me directly at lostocco1@internship4america.com. If you would like to review some of my other articles on instituting an internship program you´ll find them listed at www.internship4america.com. If you have had a similar experience I would like to hear about it.
Look for my next article entitled: Documentation Requirements & Preparation: Hosting An International Internship Candidate. Soon to be released.
Alexander H. Lostocco
* Sponsoring Agency: A US State Department approved organization that can issue a DS-2019 required to obtain a Visa
Print
Email
