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Reciprocal Learning
One Intern and Department at a Time
Henrico County has had a formal internship program that operates through the Human Resources department since the summer of 2013. Since that time, we have hired and hosted 304 students across 20 departments. Internships are a great way for the student to gain and develop skills in a professional environment, develop relationships, and apply their class-room knowledge to relevant real-world situations.
With internships everyone learns! We have a lot to offer students and likewise, they have a lot that we can learn from them. The students bring a new perspective on organizational issues and they are not afraid to challenge “the way we’ve always done it.” This input often sparks ideas and creativity that might lead to research and new alternatives.
Our Community Corrections Department has been very active in utilizing student interns. Since before the program’s inception with Human Resources, interns have been an intricate part of this department. Currently, they accept interns every semester and have also accepted them for yearly placements based on the need of the college or university. Potential interns apply for positions through the County’s website and are selected for interviews after a screening process. The potential candidates are scheduled for an interview and, upon selection, Human Resources makes the offer for the position and creates a schedule which fits both our organization's needs as well as the needs and schedule of the student.
A lot of training goes into developing student interns so that they are equipped with handling the duties of the position. They are encouraged to ask questions, gain hands-on experience and knowledge, and share their feedback and suggestions on how to improve processes and quality of services. Many of the interns have been able to use their experience gained to enter the workforce in the Criminal Justice arena. Currently, two employees work for Community Corrections that started there as interns.
Recently, an intern came to Community Corrections from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was intrigued with not only the Criminal Justice field but with the department's daily operations. During her tenure, she suggested creating an intern manual outlining “Things A Community Corrections Intern Should Know." The department leaders welcomed that suggestion and created an Intern Orientation Checklist that is now used to guide training and to cover all imperative areas of the department. "We highly value the internship program and all of those that have provided services to Community Corrections," says Unit Supervisor Shelby Johnson.
Another champion for using interns is the Public Libraries. They typically host high school students within the Teens and Digital Media Lab at Libbie Mill Area Library and at Varina Area Library. The staff has worked with several teens over the past few summers, and believe it can be as beneficial for the County as it is for the students.
Lauryn Gilliam, Varina Area Library Intern
According to Adrienne Minock, Public Services Supervisor for Teens and Digital Media Lab at Libbie Mill Area Library, getting interns trained is an investment of staff time that can have a huge payoff. Interns bring energy, their own viewpoints and specialized knowledge (like social media savvy) to the team. "Having digital natives on staff really helps us better serve teen patrons by helping see things from their perspective and improve our marketing and offerings," she says. "In addition to assisting at the Public Service Desk (Reference Desk) with basic library duties and assisting with programs and classes, our teen interns also created their own original program (Green Screen Madness) and a video advertising of our Summer Reading Club."
Not only was the library able to reuse their content for future programming, the interns also gained the experience of organizing a program for others. When a staff member resigned during the busiest time of year, the interns saved the day. By then, they were well trained and integrated into the team, which was crucial in helping the branch meet a busy schedule. "Without the interns’ help, we may have needed to cancel some of our programs," says Minock. Interns even continued to help beyond the summer. When unexpected scheduling conflicts happened in the early Fall, teen interns were able to step in and assist with classes post-internship. Without their help Minock says they most likely would have cancelled those classes. "Teen interns have been reliable and effective assistants that we can count on in a pinch. They helped us, and we provided them with a great place to learn skills that will help them as they continue on to college and careers," she says.
Natasha Payne-Brunson, Public Services Supervisor for Teens and Digital Media Lab at Varina Area Library had the privilege of hiring Lauryn Gilliam to work in the Teen Department, as an intern, at the Varina Area Library. "I felt lucky to have Lauryn around the same time we opened the new Varina Area Library," she says. "When interviewing Lauryn, I picked up on her passion for libraries. She also displayed an upbeat attitude and I knew she would work well with the staff and our customers. She had done a lot of great things to help operate the Teen Department. She spent a great deal of her time on the reference desk and she was good at multitasking and helping our customers with reader’s advisories. It was great to have a teen work in the department because she could relate to other teens." Lauryn assisted with the creation of their “We Need Diverse Books” display. This is a nationwide campaign that shares the importance of having diverse literature. "I think with all that Lauryn gained from her internship in the Teen Department at Varina, it helped her prepare for the job she is doing now, working as a staff member at Henrico County Public Library," said Natasha.
Internships help Henrico County gain advocates who spread the word about their experience in public service and with "The Henrico Way" and inspire other students to seek internships and employment here. Since 2013, we have hired 22 former interns full-time, 20 within various departments of General Government as well as two teachers in Henrico Schools. Student interns are an investment into our future workforce. We are currently advertising for spring 2018 internships with students starting in January. Advertising for summer internships will begin in December. To learn more about the County’s internship program, and submit your request for students, contact the Internship Program Coordinator, Debbie Lumpkin, at 501-7206 or [email protected].