Companies seeking to do business with the University of Nebraska can sweeten their bid proposals by including internship opportunities for students under a new program that will go into effect next year.
Beginning in 2023, businesses that choose to respond to certain requests for proposals can get "bonus points" if their plan includes the chance for students to get work experience.
The internships must be paid in order to meet a goal set by NU President Ted Carter, who said he wants every student across the system to have a paid internship or experiential learning opportunity before graduating.
NU does $700 million in contracted business each year with companies that perform a wide range of services, including information technology, research and science, and facility management.
"Imagine the opportunities we will create by formally making internships a part of that conversation," Carter said in a statement. "This is a win for businesses that urgently need more skilled workers, and for Nebraska's workforce and economy, which depend on the University of Nebraska as a prime source of talent."
Carter said adding an incentive for companies to take on NU students as interns was "a win for students."
"We've made internships a high priority across the university system," he said. "This program is one way for us to turn our goal into real action that will make a difference for students and our state."
While NU says it will take a closer look at companies that plan to hire students, spokeswoman Melissa Lee said the policy won't be "one size fits all," but will be considered as one of several factors.
"Every RFP will look different and we'll put together the points methodology based on the size of the project, the nature of the work, how well the work lends itself to internships, etc." Lee said.
The university will still consider bids based on standard metrics of cost, the qualifications of the company submitting the bid, and whether or not they are based in Nebraska, Lee added.
Carter, who declared 2022 "the year of the paid internship," wrote in an editorial earlier this year that expanding access to internships for students was his top priority.
He highlighted several efforts, including the Rural Fellowship program at UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which sent 26 students out to communities across the state for 10-week internships.
NU said campus chancellors are also working to expand internship and experiential learning opportunities on campus.