A Smarter Internship? This B-School’s Co-Op Model Offers A Year-Long Job Experience

During his spring semester, Andrew Poggi wasn’t getting much traction with summer internships. He first looked for finance roles, then broadened his search to general business. Still no luck.

Then, an email about a new co-op program for students of University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business and Economics popped into his inbox. He attended one of the first information sessions and saw an opportunity at The Siegfried Group working in data analytics and professional development that would extend well past the summer. He’d work there a full-year while still making time for his school schedule.

“The long-term placement is ideal because, in a way, it’s an extended test to see if you fit in that role post-college. It may push me to my limits a bit, but at the same time, it’s great for growth,” says Poggi, a rising senior, who hopes a full year at the company will give him a better shot at landing a full-time offer after graduation.

“The program is a testament to Lerner’s commitment to helping undergraduate students gain professional experience and to helping them set themselves up for success in the future. Without this opportunity, I would’ve been back home working at a restaurant. But instead, I am furthering my education and career development.”

Poggi is one of 22 Lerner students in the pilot class of the Lerner Co-op program, a new year-long work-based learning initiative launched with a grant from the Delaware Workforce Development Board. For students, it provides meaningful work experience and the chance to apply classroom lessons while earning both academic credits and a paycheck. For employers, it’s access to skilled Lerner students who are more prepared to transition to full-time jobs after graduation.

“If the program grows, it could significantly strengthen Delaware’s talent pipeline,” says Christina MacMillan, vice president of strategic development at M. Davis & Sons, an industrial construction company which employed one Lerner student in the pilot program.

“By connecting more students with local companies and exposing them to the range of opportunities available in the state, it increases the likelihood that they will choose to build their careers here,” she tells Poets&Quants. “This could help retain talent, support long-term workforce development, and contribute to the overall economic health of Delaware.”

INTERNSHIP + CO-OP

The Lerner Co-op Program is more than a traditional internship that lasts 8 to 10 weeks, usually over the summer. By the time students learn the ropes, the experience has ended.
Nor is it exactly a college co-op. These programs typically require students to step away from full-time classes for a semester or more for full-time work in their field of study. While students may earn college credit during their work semester, co-ops can delay graduation.

Lerner’s model combines the two. It gives students the depth of a co-op with the flexibility of an internship, allowing them to gain real work experience over 12 months. Students work full-time during summer and winter breaks and scale back to part-time hours during the academic year. Students will earn between 3 to 6 credits for their work placement while partner companies will set their salaries.

“It’s a little bit of both,” says Minda Watson, assistant director of Lerner Career Services. “We would like to see our students graduate in four years, and we also want students to get those meaningful, immersive career experiences. I don’t think a term has been created yet that really encompasses everything we’re trying to do here.”

Work on the program started early this year with a two-year grant from the Delaware Workforce Development Board. It has placed 22 Lerner students into paid, year-long roles at 16 Delaware companies. Some are large, familiar names like JPMorgan Chase and DuPont. Others are small and mid-sized firms that rarely have structured internship pipelines.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BUILT IN

The Lerner Co-op Program is open to rising juniors and seniors. It includes extensive professional skills training and one-on-one coaching with Lerner’s Career Serves as well as alumni from the Lerner Edge program. This includes resume editing, mock interviews, and career advising.

Brandon White, program coordinator, vets both students and employers to ensure a good fit.

“For students who gain placements through the program, I’ve probably met with them an average six or seven times. We want to make sure that they are good representatives for the university and for Lerner,” says White. “I also meet with the employers to understand their needs, what they’re looking for in students, and their expectations for their hires.”

Co-op students enroll in a two-semester professional development course that runs alongside their placement. It includes regular check-ins on topics like workplace communication, conflict resolution, and navigating organizational culture.

Just like the real-world, not every student who interviews for co-op placement will get one. They’ll still be able to take all that development work and experience with them, however. The career coaching, interview prep, and feedback will likely help for the next role they apply to.

The program also makes space for reflection and accountability. Employers fill out monthly check-ins and can flag issues or successes. Students are coached not just to land the role, but to build confidence and begin developing a professional identity.

While this first year will be the test for the new program, organizers think their hybridization between internship and co-op could become a differentiator for Lerner. Sure, employer and student feedback will be a major metric for the program’s success.

“But, down the line, how often are we going to hear that a student chose UD because of the co-op program?” White says. “That, in my mind, is going to be one of the key measurements that we’re looking for.”

BUILDING NEW EMPLOYMENT PIPELINES

For Delaware employers, the Lerner Co-op offers more than extra help. Traditional recruiting is expensive and time-consuming. Summer internships often end just as students get their footing and start tackling meaningful projects. Lerner’s program is a cost-effective way to test and train future hires, says Jen Girouard, controller at Diamond Technologies, a managed IT services provider.

“We needed a way to identify talent that not only has the technical foundation but also understands business operations, client relationships, and can contribute to our growth,” she tells P&Q. “The Lerner Co-op Program offered us the perfect solution. We can evaluate a student’s fit with our culture and capabilities over an extended period while providing them with real business experience.”

Diamond Technologies’ co-op student is working in marketing. He’s so far helping on the weekly marketing campaigns, and will soon start researching and qualifying potential clients across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He will support outreach through cold calls and LinkedIn, set up consultations with the sales team, and canvass local businesses to grow the client base.

“Our co-op student has added significant value to our operations, especially considering we are a team of under 50 people where everyone’s contribution matters. He’s helped us implement more structured processes for our marketing plan,” Girouard tells P&Q.

“He came in with initiative, a professional demeanor, and excellent communication skills. I’ve been really impressed.”

At CSC, a global business and legal services firm headquartered in Wilmington, three Lerner students are supporting marketing and sales teams on campaign development, market research, and process improvements.

“It’s a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to engage with talented students and help shape the next generation of professionals,” said Jennifer Eichholz, senior talent program manager at CSC.

“Even in a short time, they’ve brought fresh perspectives and a willingness to learn. We’re looking forward to seeing their contributions grow as they continue to ramp up.”

Program organizers are already looking to expand. Some employer partners, like JPMorgan Chase and WSFS Bank, hired one or two students in the first round. Program leaders are now in conversations to scale those partnerships. The goal is to double placements to 40 students by 2026, and eventually grow the model to serve more companies and possibly other colleges within the university.

“Students appreciate the amount of attention and support that they get through the program, because they don’t feel like they’re going through this process alone,” White says.

“A lot of the students who have been applying for internships outside the Co-op told me they had applied to hundreds of internships and heard nothing. Or had gotten some interviews and didn’t feel like they interviewed very well. Or interviewed and never heard back.

“The students we work with feel like they have a built-in network with us and a direct line of communication with employers. We’re not only bringing them opportunities, we are preparing them for those opportunities.”

STUDENTS DOING REAL-WORLD WORK

Kaylee Chau, a rising senior majoring in business analytics, secured a data product solutions role for her co-op placement with JPMorgan Chase. One of her first assignments was on a project that required a new software no one in the office had been trained on – including Chau. It was up to her to set up calls with people who could help, ask the right questions, and teach herself how to use it.

“It’s been a lot of independent work, which was intimidating at first,” she says. “But being thrown in the deep end has really pushed me to grow. While it’s still challenging, it’s also been incredibly rewarding to build something from scratch and see my progress.”

Her co-op experience sits on the data governance side of the business, where she’s been building out a dashboard for the company’s peer recognition program. It aligns closely with her major and her double minors in Management Information Systems and International Business.

She learned about the Lerner Co-op Program while studying abroad in Madrid and completed the application process entirely over Zoom with the help of Lerner’s Career Services team. So far, the co-op has helped her grow in areas that a classroom can’t simulate like time management, shifting priorities, and navigating a large corporate environment.

“It’s helped me better understand how my interests fit into real-world roles in finance and data,” she said. “It’s confirmed that I enjoy working in analytics. This is something I can see myself doing long-term.”

Just a couple of weeks into his new job at The Siegfried Group, Poggi is responsible for running reports and sending biweekly emails to managers across the country. He’s also documenting processes for the team’s onboarding and training. He’s already eyeing company workshops and career development opportunities, and he meets with his Siegfriend mentor every week. It’s a far cry from anything he could learn in a classroom.

“In the classroom setting, it’s all about the books and studies. What they don’t tell you is that you have to be on top of your communication,” he tells P&Q. “My very first lesson on the day I started was that my calendar was going to be my best friend, and that’ll stand true for the rest of my professional career.”

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