Resources
Free Courses for Employers
Developing an Internship Program
In this course, you will learn how to host a successful internship program at your organization. This course’s content ranges from developing internship postings to helping interns develop their skills during their time with your organization.
Account Creation and Enrollment
Please follow this link to access the course catalog, create an account, and enroll in courses: https://virginiacoursecatalog.atomiclms.com/
- On the next screen, in the box labeled Free Enrollment, enter your school or corporate email address and click Enroll Now.
- Answer the account questions and finish creating your account.
- You’ll receive an email and you must complete the account creation process by clicking the link in the email and logging into the course management system.
- Once you’re enrolled in the course and have opened the landing page, you must complete the brief Course Foundations module before the buttons for each of the other modules are live. Use the green Start Here button.
- If you are interested in the Staffing Agency and Matching Funds program, you will need to complete modules 2, 3, 6, and 7.
- Logging In: To log back in after starting a course, use this link: https://virginia.atomiclms.com/login/canvas
Free Courses for Students
V-TOP recommends that students participate in these courses with the support of faculty or staff at your school, college, or university or with oversight by your internship supervisor or other mentor. While all the online student courses can be completed by a student working alone, small group activities and time for reflection and discussion with others will enrich the experience.
Developing Career Readiness Skills
Target Audience: College students preparing for or currently participating in an internship.
Teachers, Faculty, and Career Services Professionals: You may find the Curriculum Map helpful as you assist students’ progression through the career readiness modules.
Student Internship Toolkit
This series of online modules will cover topics such as tools and strategies for seeking an internship, resume development, interviews, preparing for your first few days, maximizing your experience, and ending the internship professionally.
Teachers, Faculty, and Career Services Professionals: You may find the Curriculum Map helpful as you assist students’ progression through the career readiness modules.
Free Courses for Career Champions
V-TOP recommends that faculty, staff, and educators participate in these courses to develop their skills to become career champions for current and future students.
Becoming a Career Champion
This series of online modules was developed for faculty, staff, and educators who will develop skills and practices to become a champion for students’ career success through effective mentoring, guidance, and fostering a culture of career readiness within post-secondary education institutions.
Teachers, Faculty, and Career Services Professionals: You may find the Curriculum Map helpful as you assist your career champions in progressing through the modules.
Mentor Virginia
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership has joined with Mentor Virginia to offer FREE Mentor, Supervisor, and Mentee training for employers, institutions, and students. To learn more and schedule your training, please email info@virginiatop.org.
Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium Report
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) and the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) released a report that details challenges and best practices for internships and work-based learning (WBL) and makes recommendations for improvement.
Recommendations from the report include improved coordination between colleges, universities, and employers, increased WBL for two-year college students, improved mentorships for students at institutions of higher learning and employers, and exploration of virtual or remote WBL opportunities.
A discussion about the report’s key points is available through MERC’s podcast program Abstract.
Internships and other work-based learning opportunities provide students with valuable hands-on experience, feedback, pay, and other benefits. These opportunities often lead to students staying in Virginia upon graduation and strengthening the workforce.