Evaluating the Dynamics of Rural Internships in Alberta

Abstract

Rural Alberta is decreasing in population with a resulting reduction in services to the people who continue to live outside the metropolitan areas of Calgary and Edmonton. As services within rural communities decline, a commensurate increase in stress occurs for the population that remains. By delivering a program that matches post-secondary students with non-profit/voluntary sector (NPVS) organizations that are in need of skilled workers, Volunteer Alberta, through its sponsorship of the Serving Communities Internship Program (SCiP), struck upon a plan to provide for rural re-development. Volunteer Alberta worked through Alberta's 21 post-secondary institutions to promote internships that were available throughout the province. During the 2011/12 school year volunteer placements occurred. Throughout the fall of 2012 we conducted an evaluation of the program through a study that utilized comprehensive online surveys, as well as interviews with a purposeful sample of interns and NPVS organizations. Survey and interview data revealed that both the interns and the NPVS organizations were highly satisfied with the SCiP format, the services provided to them by Volunteer Alberta, and the quality of the internships, and the interns they acquired. SCiP intern motivation came from the opportunity to use skills and knowledge developed in post-secondary programs in such a way that they could later use the experience as evidence of their ability to future employers. Interview data from both the interns and the NPVS organizations in rural areas of the province revealed that volunteer post-secondary student exposure to rural community organizations led to a positive change in perception about the work of the NPVS in general and rural communities in particular. Evidence of change of perception was strong enough to indicate that a longitudinal study should be conducted to see if the positive perception of rural communities attained through working there will be acted upon, and lead to an increased movement toward paid work in the non-profit/voluntary sector in both urban and rural areas of the province. Keywords: Rural development, youth internships, community development