Arizona Western College offers a variety of learning experiences outside the classroom that allow students to expand their knowledge in the career field of their choice.

Students who graduate with a two-year degree quickly find that employers want to know about their work experience. Applying for an internship or co-op or participating in an experiential learning experience helps students gain valuable work experience related to their major. Those students also can also make sure that this is the job they want to pursue for their educational and professional career.

Employers offer internship and co-op opportunities to students who show promise in their field of study. Through them, students demonstrate their potential as future employees. They also learn the business dynamics of the professional field and apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.

Internships, which can be paid or unpaid, are usually offered in the summer so they don't interfere with classes and are a one-time work experience and generally are restricted one aspect of an employer's business.

Co-ops jobs, involving a formal agreement between an enrolled student and the employer, are usually set up so the student gets college credit. A faculty member helps set up the learning experience and monitor the job activities and the learning achieved. Co-ops often rotate a student into different job aspects in the business to enable the student to explore different potential job applications for their major.

Experiential Learning is yet another potential learning process, meant to enhance the student's academic learning. One way to gain this type of experience is job shadowing, in which the student follows a professional in the field of their major to learn first hand by observation the reality of the job.

Donna Lay of AWC's Career Services calls internships and related opportunities "a valuable opportunity for students to enhance their resumes, learn about their careers and improve their skill level, and make themselves more marketable in a limited job market."

Lay offers the following advice for students:

• Be proactive in developing a plan to gain the education and experience you need to enhance your marketable job skills.
• Maintain a high grade-point average, which is often essential to potential employers.
• Start in the fall semester to determine what you want to learn.
• Research and explore current and future opportunities.
• Develop your ability to work as an independent and self-motivated potential employee.
• Visit Career Services to explore potential situations to enhance your learning opportunities.

 

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The staff there offers advice on exploring opportunities, to help in developing a resume, to refer students to potential employers and to guide the learning experience.