Overview

For Businesses: MnTAP Intern Program Overview

busoverview-2Each summer, the MnTAP intern program hires and places highly qualified students in a wide variety of facilities to develop industry-tailored solutions for waste and energy challenges. This page will provide you with more information about eligibility, the hiring process, technical guidance, confidentiality, and deliverables associated with the program.

Eligibility

To qualify for the intern program, your business must be:

  • Located in Minnesota
  • Committed to reducing or eliminating industrial waste (air emissions, water, energy, solid or hazardous waste)
  • Willing to make operational or procedural improvements to accomplish a waste reduction or energy efficiency goal, such as substituting equipment or raw materials
  • Able to develop a project idea that applies to other Minnesota businesses

The Hiring Process

The MnTAP intern program can save you money from the beginning. Up to 30% of position’s salary can be the cost of hiring; however, MnTAP takes care of recruiting, selecting, and training a qualified candidate for you. Also, the interns are MnTAP employees and have their payroll and worker’s compensation covered by the University of Minnesota.

MnTAP recruits and interviews intern candidates so your company does not have to spend time on the selection process. We try to hire mature, independent students. After we identify the best student match for your project, the company and student have a confirmation meeting to make sure that both parties are comfortable with the match. Only one student is referred to the company.

Technical Guidance

See 30 Years of MnTAP's Intern Program's Accomplishments
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Each project and intern is supported by a MnTAP engineer or science-related professional with experience solving problems in your industry. The MnTAP project advisor guides the intern by discussing reduction ideas, offering resource leads, keeping the project on track, and coaching him or her on how to work well within the company. Additionally, the advisor reviews the intern’s progress weekly and visits the intern on site during the project to ensure that progress is being made.

Confidentiality

MnTAP fully respects a company’s need to protect its sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information. Student interns must adhere to MnTAP’s Confidentiality Statement.

Successful past projects are promoted as examples of what Minnesota companies can do to reduce waste. As a participating company, you will review information prior to publication to ensure that sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information is not shared.

Deliverables

At the conclusion of a project, you will receive a report of the intern’s findings. This report outlines the student’s suggestions and provides a cost analysis. The student presents findings in a detailed presentation to your staff and in a general presentation to a public audience. Both of these deliverables can be used in the future to implement projects that save money, reduce waste, and increase efficiency.