STU’s internship program changes structure, students get fewer hours

Student Stephanie Gagnon at her internship with Consciously Clean Refillery, where she worked as a social media management specialist and outreach coordinator. Credit: STU Communications

The STU Experiential Learning and Career Development Office announced over the summer that they will change the internship program structure for the 2025-26 academic year.

The new format consists of mandatory five weeks of professional development workshops, followed by seven weeks dedicated to the off-campus placement. 

Previously, students would begin their placements right away, allowing for more paid hours with their designated workplace. 

All students who have completed the mandatory resume and cover letter workshops are eligible to apply to the newly changed program. 

Alexa Navas, internship program coordinator, noticed a need for students to enhance professional skills, such as interviewing strategies. Navas aims for students to acquire these skills before beginning their placements.

“Experiential learning and career development is a big piece of what students get to experience here at St. Thomas University and so we wanted to make sure that they’re receiving good quality programming throughout their time at St. Thomas,” she said. “It’s important to make sure that we are living up to the promises that we make to the students.”

As per the experiential learning program’s objective, the workshops aim to be hands-on, with group discussion and activities.

“For example, the interview they do at the start of the program is meant to prepare them. We take detailed notes to provide feedback for them … we provide that one-on-one coaching so that when the time comes and they interview with the employers, they feel more confident and more prepared to take it on.”

While the new format is still in its early stages, Navas has noted an overall positive student response.

“It is a dream of mine that [students] walk out of here with their degree, but also with that added confidence and competence that they’re prepared for the workforce if they so choose to go on to work right away.”

Camila Baquerizo, a fourth-year student from Ecuador, is currently employed with the Government of New Brunswick as a policy analyst – a job she says she could not have gotten without previously working as a project manager through the internship program.

“I’m taking care of a few projects right now and it gives me a lot of insights to know about how housing works, especially with the student crisis right now … ” she said.

Baquerizo viewed the internship program as a creative way to introduce students to the workforce. 

She noted that the changes, while helpful, result in students getting fewer hours in their placement, creating a potential financial burden.

“I believe that [it would be] a great balance between letting the students keep the amount of hours that they used to do, but also incentivizing them to do workshops in order to prepare themselves for these new challenges.”

Though the Fall semester programming is already underway, winter internship applications will open soon.

Navas recommends that students build their resume with volunteer work and community involvement if they are interested in applying, to give themselves “a competitive edge.”

For students seeking workplace opportunities, Baquerizo noted that finding employment is a struggle for students and recommended that they put themselves out there.

“The skills that we develop through our studies are amazing. It’s just a matter of learning how to properly sell them,” said Baquerizo.