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Work Learning Goals

(For more information see page 4 of internship packet)

Developing Work Learning Goals

What are work learning goals?
Work learning goals are a set of objectives regarding skills development and experiences that you expect from your internship. These objectives are matched to what you and your supervisor have determined you will accomplish over the course of the summer. Work learning goals become a part of your learning/work contract with your supervisor. That is, they are agreeing to support you in working toward these goals as you carry-out the daily tasks of the organization. They provide guidelines for you and your supervisor to refer to when you do your evaluations and exit interviews. They help to access what you learned, what you accomplished, what assisted you to reach these goals, and what may have happened during the course of the internship experience that changed your objectives and the scope of your work and learning experience.

Questions to ask yourself and your supervisor in the development of work learning goals.

Is this a project-based internship (that is, there is a clear scope of the project, with a beginning and ending), or will you be "shadowing" people and departments?
What is the end result of the project/experience? (What will you DO, what experiences will you have? What do you expect to learn?)
What skills do you need to complete project? What skills will you gain?
What other experiences will the organization provide you? (Field trips, access to professional networks, participation in events outside the scope of your project, attendance at meetings? In other words, how you will access knowledge and experiences about the organization as a whole?)
What does the organization expect you to accomplish? Are there deadlines? Specific ways of accomplishing projects?
How will your supervisor “mentor” you? Will you have weekly luncheons, meetings? What are other expectations you have for the supervisor?

Evaluating your work learning goals

Having clear work learning goals will allow you to site down with your supervisor as your internship comes to an end, and to reflect on what you were able to accomplish--why and why not--and what about the experience supported or hindered your ability to attain these goals. This provides both you and the organization with an assessment process that will lead to program improvement for the organization, and you with a means to articulate your experiences within the scope of the organization and within an academic context.



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