What is expected of an internship host?

Before hosting an Engineering or IT student, it’s important to understand the responsibilities that come with hosting a student. As a host, you’re not only offering a student a placement, but you’re also providing a structured learning experience that contributes to their professional development.

This includes assigning meaningful tasks, offering guidance and support through a qualified supervisor, and ensuring a safe, inclusive workplace. Being clear about these expectations from the outset helps ensure a positive and productive experience for both your organisation and the student.

SELECTING STUDENTS FOR THE INTERNSHIP

Selecting students for an internship should be approached with respect, fairness, and careful consideration to ensure equal opportunity for all candidates - regardless of gender, culture, disability or background.

The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and free from discrimination, harassment, or bias. We encourage all host organisations to reflect these values when assessing and selecting interns. This includes:

  • Making decisions based on merit, and avoiding any form of unlawful discrimination or unconscious bias
  • Supporting a recruitment process that is inclusive of students from diverse backgrounds, including international students, students with a disability, LGBTQIA+ students, and those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  • Ensuring your workplace culture allows all interns to feel safe, respected, and able to thrive

We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the following resources:

The University of Melbourne's Diversity Resources and Employing International Students & Graduates.

SUPERVISION

Supervision is a critical component of a successful internship. It ensures that students are supported in their learning, contribute meaningfully to the organisation, and develop the professional skills they need for their future careers.

Each intern must be supervised by a staff member within your organisation who:

  • Is a technical expert in the student’s field of work (e.g., Engineering or IT), or
  • Holds relevant professional experience in Engineering or Information Technology, depending on the internship role.

The supervisor must provide:

  • A well-planned onboarding and training plan: A highly organised and comprehensive onboarding process can lay the foundation for a successful internship, whether it is virtual, in person or hybrid.
  • Professional Development and Mentorship: Consider assigning a mentor or “buddy” within your organisation who can answer questions, provide support and meet the intern with some frequency.
  • Clear Objectives: Whether your intern is completing their internship on-site, fully remote or hybrid, it is important to clearly define the primary objectives of the internship for yourself, your team and your intern.  Monitor workload and pace of work.
  • Clear Communication: Ensure there is a daily touchpoint each time your intern is working, along with at least one dedicated meeting each week to check-in, review tasks and expectations, and provide constructive feedback.
  • Technical guidance and day-to-day support: Make sure your intern has access to timely and ongoing guidance related to their assigned tasks. This includes ensuring someone is available to answer questions and provide direction when needed.

WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS

As a host, you are responsible for creating a respectful learning environment in the workplace, ensuring:

  • A safe, inclusive, and professional work environment, where all interns, regardless of gender, culture or language background, have equal opportunities to:
    • Visit work sites
    • Ask for opportunities of particular procedures
    • Interact with trades people, customers, and project members
    • Use tools and equipment required for the job
    • Take a leadership role in a task
    • Demonstrate their skills and experience
  • A workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment.
  • Students are treated with respect and professionalism, as emerging members of the engineering and IT communities.

You are also responsible for clarifying the following:

  • Agreed work hours and workdays, including:
    • start time, break times, and finish time
  • Agreed absence times (e.g., for volunteering or personal commitments)
  • Please note students will need up to the equivalent of two days for subject activities (assessments, meetings, workshops), depending on their work hours.
  • Dress Code, including:
    • Appropriate work clothing
    • Required safety clothing and/or equipment
  • Emergency procedures and relevant staff contact details
  • E-mail etiquette, including:
    • Appropriate salutations
    • Message format
  • Workplace communication expectations, such as:
    • How to address employees and customers
    • Appropriate language for in-person and phone interactions
  • Shared space etiquette, covering:
    • Tidiness
    • Cleanliness
    • Noise level
    • Placement of personal items
  • Mobile phone usage expectations during work hours

NEW NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

  • Introduces new information sharing obligations between the Host Organisation and the University.
  • May occur verbally but requires written confirmation within 48 hours of the incident.
  • Host Organisation agrees to notify the University of:
    • OHS, equal opportunity or discrimination issues or incidents;
    • inappropriate conduct or behaviour;
    • complaint, allegation or investigation into a Student's conduct or in respect of a third party whilst on Placement;
    • incident or event occurring on Placement which results in, or is likely to cause, harm to the Student to staff, clients or visitors of the Host Organisation as a result of any act or omission of the Student.
  • Updated templates - on the KBA and via Neota.