I have exciting news to share with you today.
This summer, FFA will provide eight companies in our community with summer interns – college students who lost their internships due to the crisis. These interns will be compensated for their time at no cost to the companies, and FFA will manage the overhead of their employment so you can focus just on the internship work itself.
This program is a small pilot that we are running thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Robin and Court Lorenzini. We are taking the generosity of these private sponsors and multiplying it across the community. Our hope is that we give eight companies a valuable resource, while also contributing to the career progression of eight young leaders and compensating them fairly for their time. It’s a win-win-win for all. A bright spot of opportunity in an otherwise shaky time.
More details on the program are below:
How it works
- Robin and Court Lorenzini are selecting and sponsoring eight college students who lost their internships this summer.
- FFA will interview all the interns to confirm their choices.
- FFA will be the official employer of the interns, and they will be assigned a company to support (i.e. the intern contractually works for FFA).
- All companies in the FFA community can apply to be matched to an intern (you must be vetted to join FFA first).
- FFA and the Lorenzinis will select eight beneficiary companies and match them to an intern.
- Once the matches are made and communicated, all companies and interns will have a right of refusal if they don’t think it is a good match for them. If the company refuses their assigned intern, they will not be provided with a second intern.
- Interns will work with their assigned company full time for six weeks – June 17th to July 31st. They will send weekly updates to FFA and their assigned CEO. All work will be performed remotely.
- Interns, companies and FFA will have a few check-ins throughout the program, as well as one or two “social” activities.
- FFA will collect feedback from the companies and the interns at the end of the program.
Timeline
- Announcement: May 6th
- Company applications due: Monday, May 11th 5pm PST
- Interns matched & notified on a rolling basis, no later than Friday May 22nd
- Companies notified on a rolling basis, no later than Wednesday May 27th
- Company / Intern Introductions: Wednesday, June 10th
- Internship start and end dates: Wednesday, June 17th – Friday, July 31st
How are the interns selected?
Interns are selected by Robin and Court Lorenzini (the sponsors), and then vetted by FFA.
Who can apply to be a host company?
All companies that are in the vetted FFA community are eligible to apply.
How will the companies be selected?
FFA will select companies for the program who:
- Have well defined, level-appropriate internship projects that are not replacing the work of an employee.
- Demonstrate capacity to manage an intern effectively, providing the intern with an encouraging and educational experience.
- May not otherwise be able to afford a paid intern.
How will the interns be matched to the companies?
Companies will have an opportunity to make special requests in the application form and these will be taken into consideration when matching. That said, this is a small pilot program so we will do our best, but we cannot guarantee that your top requests or choices will be fulfilled. If you need an intern with a very specific skill set, this may not be an appropriate program for you.
Due to FFA’s internal capacity, we will not be offering companies the opportunity to select interns; companies must accept or decline the intern they are assigned to.
On the intern side, we will strive to match interns with projects and companies where they can provide value as well as gain valuable professional experience. Interns will be given a choice of 3 or so companies based on skill matching, and their input will be taken into consideration.
Who employs the interns? How will they be compensated?
The interns will be employed by FFA, and will be compensated $15/hr, subject to all local and federal taxes, for their work. The interns will be paid via FFA’s payroll schedule. This compensation will be subject to all local and federal taxes.
What are the company’s responsibilities?
To ensure the internship program operates smoothly, the company will be required to participate in ~3 events or check-ins through the program period. These may take the form of a virtual social gathering for all company representatives and interns, a check-in with FFA’s team, the completion of a program feedback form, or something else.
We expect the company to stay closely aligned with the intern, integrating them into the company’s operation as much as possible in the short timeframe, and providing the intern with a positive, educational, value-add experience.
Finally, the company will be asked to sign an indemnification and consulting agreement between FFA & the company.
What are the intern’s responsibilities?
The intern will work on the project(s) assigned by their host company for the duration of the program. They will also send weekly reports to FFA and the host company, participate in check-ins, and provide feedback to us at the end of the program.
What happens if the one of the parties decided to terminate the internship early?
If at any point during the internship it becomes apparent that either the intern or the company is not meeting requirements and expectations, or is in violation of FFA’s Honor Code, the intern may be removed from the assigned project.
- If the company was not acting according to the agreement and at least 4 weeks remain in the internship, the intern will be reassigned to another company or brought in to work directly for FFA.
- If the company has to terminate the program before the halfway point for reasons other than intern performance, FFA will make reasonable efforts to find another internship opportunity for the intern. We expect the company to provide reasoning for the decision.
- If the intern was not acting according to the agreement, their employment will be terminated.
