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Employer Information

Thank you for your interest in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology's internship program. Below is an outline of our program, and the respective requirements of employers and students.

Program Outline

Undergraduate students who have fully completed their second year and must be entering the third year or later of the Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Information Technology (IT) (Honours) programs, and who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 or higher, are eligible to participate in the Internship program and course (XBIT 4600U). Students have the opportunity to apply classroom concepts to the challenges of business life as they gain valuable, relevant work experience as an intern students within your organization. Students are available from the following degree programs and majors:

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Commerce

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Technology Management
Bachelor of IT

Bachelor of IT

  • Game Development and Interactive Media
  • Networking and Information Technology Security
  • Technology Management
  • Benefits of Hiring an Internship Student
    • Employers help the university produce highly productive and potential future learners by complementing and enhancing a student’s academic study through meaningful work experience
    • Students are available for specific long-term projects or for a series of short-term tasks, depending on employer hiring needs
    • Students could be assessed by employers for their ability, professionalism, and aptitude to become a potential career employee
    • Students have completed a minimum of two years of academic study, thereby obtaining a solid base of theory and technical skills
  • Internship Requirements
    • Internship positions must offer remuneration to the student (e.g. salary, honorarium)
    • Must be a full-time position that lasts a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks
    • Internship periods can begin in the Fall, Winter and Spring semesters and can range from 4, 8, 12 or 16 months in duration

Recruitment

  • Recruitment Process
    • Internship positions must offer remuneration to the student (e.g. salary, honorarium)
    • Must be a full-time position that lasts a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks
    • Internship periods can begin in the Fall, Winter, and Spring semesters and can range from 4, 8,12 or 16 months in duration

    Recruitment Process
    1. Create an Employer-Account on the Student Life Portal
           a. Employers are invited to register for an Employer account on the University’s Student Life Portal.
           b. Employers will be contacted by email once their account has been approved. Please note that employer accounts need to be approved by the Career Centre before access to the site is granted.
    2. Uploading your Job Posting to the Student Life Portal for approval
    3. Screen applications and arrange interviews with selected candidates
    4. Interview selected candidates
    5. Inform Internship Coordinator of job Offer
    6. Present job offer to the student

    Please contact the Internship Coordinator to learn more about the recruitment process.

  • Campus Recruitment

    We offer a variety of campus recruitment activities throughout the year in partnership with the Ontario Tech Career Centre. The events promote your organization and experiential learning opportunities to students across our faculty and the larger student community. 

    Other opportunities include: 
    1. Virtual Reverse Career Fair in October
    2. Ontario Tech University and Durham College Career Fair
    3. Showcases
    4. In-class presentations
    5. Virtual Career Chats
  • Salary Guide
    Program area
    Average Salary Rate (2021)
    Accounting $17.45
    Finance $20.77
    Marketing $18.92
    Human Resources  $20.32
    Business $19.10
    Game Development $28.51
    Networking and IT Security $21.42

Responsibilities

  • Student Responsibility
    • Work with their Internship Supervisor to establish learning goals and outcomes for the internship.
    • Attend the internship on the days and times agreed upon.
    • Conduct themselves in a professional manner
    • Bring forward any concerns related to the internship experience to their Internship Supervision and Ontario Tech University Internship Coordinator
    • Fulfill any program or site-specific pre-internship requirements such as work permit, security clearance, criminal record check, etc.
  • Employer Responsibility
    • Gives the student an opportunity to enhance his or her communication and interpersonal skills.
    • Involves a significant professional challenge/responsibility that increases over time, and in which academic knowledge is being applied.
    • Is guided or supervised by a professional manager (this supervision is essential for validation purposes, should the placement count towards the professional experience component necessary for professional certification, such as ICAO’s Chartered Accountant designation).
    • Occurs in a supportive and constructive work environment.
    • Provides employment for at least 12 weeks, with full-time hours (typically 35 hours per week).
    • Provides remuneration to the student intern, either by salary, honorarium, or stipend.
    • Ensure an appropriate supervisor meets with the intern and explains the job description and workplace expectations.
    • Arrange a suitable time for regular meetings between the supervisor and the intern, to allow for mentoring and discussions of the intern’s progress throughout their internship.
    • Provide the internship student with time to schedule meetings with the internship coordinator during regular office hours
    • Complete and submit the Supervisor Evaluation form provided by the university at the completion of the work term, as part of the student’s evaluation for academic course credit. The intern will have access to this evaluation form and will provide this to their direct supervisor/manager.
  • Ontario Tech University
    • Maintain and foster relationships with existing employers.
    • Assist employers in the recruitment process.
    • Monitor student progress and performance in co-operation with their Internship Supervisor. 
    • Maintain contact with students and employers throughout the duration of the work term. 
    • Provide support to students and employers if concerns arise throughout the work term. 
    • Issue certification letters for the Co-operative Education Tex Credit for employers in Ontario that hire internship students.

Managing a Successful Internship

  • Orientation and Training
    Your new internship student will require orientation in their new position. This can include tours of the facilities, staff introductions, and a review of your organizational policies and procedures. This will assist the student in clarifying their objectives and expectations for their work term.
  • Supervision
    • The work term should be a positive experience for both supervisor and student. 
    • Set aside time to connect with the student to establish their learning objectives for the work term. 
    • Provide the student with feedback throughout the internship including strengths and areas for improvement. 
    • Ensure the student has adequate work in order to remain busy and productive. Suggest ways for the student to ask for additional tasks. 
    • Provide a meaningful opportunity for the student. Challenge them with duties to enhance their professional development. 
    • Contact the Internship Coordinator should any problems occur during the work term. 
  • Evaluation

    Initial Internship Check-In: The Internship Coordinator will send out a brief survey at the beginning of the work term to connect with the supervisor regarding the student’s performance and internship experience thus far.
    Mid-Term Check-In: In partnership with the student, the Internship Coordinator will schedule an on-site or virtual meeting to check in with the student and supervisor at the midpoint of the internship.
    Final Supervisor Feedback: Nearing the end of the internship, the student will provide their supervisor with a Supervisor Feedback Form to be completed online.

    If an alternate version of the form is required, please email the Internship Coordinator at fbitexl@ontariotechu.ca.

F.A.Q.

Funding Opportunities

Funding Resource
Description
Ontario Tax Credit Ontario businesses that hire students enrolled in post-secondary co-op education are eligible to receive a tax credit based on salary/wages. Companies can claim 25% (30% for small businesses) of eligible expenditures up to $3000 per co-op student hired. A minimum of 10 weeks of employment is required.
Mitacs Business Project Funding The BSI program will provide an award of $10,000 per intern with the full amount of the award going towards the intern stipend. The partner organization will contribute $5,000 towards the award.

Alternatively, partner organizations can select a $15,000 funding model where up to $5,000 of funds can be used for eligible project costs or to top up an intern stipend. Any combination of funding is allowed as long as the minimum intern stipend is $10,000 and the minimum partner organization contribution is $7,500.

Projects should be designed as four-month internships, however, they can be adjusted to six-month internships to provide flexibility to accommodate the intern’s other responsibilities.
Mitacs Accelerate Program Provides opportunities for students or postdoctoral fellows to do internships in their own start-up companies. For-profit corporations, including eligible intern-owned start-ups based at approved incubators, and eligible not-for-profit (NFP) corporations, municipalities, and hospitals can participate.
WIL Digital ICTC’s Work Integrated Learning Program is an innovative Work Integrated Learning program that helps employers grow their businesses by providing financial assistance for hiring post-secondary students. WIL Digital provides 50% of the student's salary, up to $5,000 or 70% up to $7,000 for underrepresented students.

Canada Summer Jobs

Provides wage subsidies for not-for-profit, public sector, and private sector employers, to create summer work experiences for young people (15 to 30). Funded employers will be listed on the Canada Summer Jobs website and funded positions will be posted on Job Bank.
Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Through the Student Work Placement program, employers can apply for wage subsidies to help hire post-secondary students.

Employers are eligible to collect up to $5,000 for every student they hire through the program and up to $7,000 for every student they hire that is in their first year or is from an under-represented group including women in STEM, persons with disabilities, newcomers, Indigenous students and visible minorities.