Subject Line: The internship that taught us nothing about work—and everything about bad design
The examples in this newsletter are drawn from real partnership experiences. Names and identifying details have been altered to protect privacy.
Who's This For
I'm writing this for workforce professionals who coordinate internships, co-ops, job shadows, clinical placements, or any experience where learning is supposed to happen in workplace settings.
You know the frustration: you place a participant with an employer, they spend six weeks there, and when they return... something happened. But what? The employer says they were "fine." The participant says it was "good." Your report to funders says the placement was "completed."
But did learning happen? Can you point to specific skills that developed? Can you demonstrate what changed?
If work-integrated learning feels like placement logistics more than learning design, this issue is for you.