INTERNSHIP CASE STUDIES

Many agricultural departments have an advisory committee or FFA alumni support group. Assume your have graduated from high school and are serving on the advisory committee. You provide advice to the teacher about possible intern sites and the internship program. What advice would you give your teacher in the following situations.


 

Case Study 1

TO: Ag Teacher

FROM: Bobby Smith, Junior Student

  RE: Internship Opportunity

My father is real active in the Lions Club. At the Lions Club meeting this week he was talking with John Jones, a most prominent lawyer here in town. Mr. Jones has a rather large estate with beautiful grounds. He can't keep the grounds up and thought I might be able to help.  My dad  was telling him about the Agricultural program and how I might be able to work as a gardener for my SAE program. This would be a great opportunity. Mr. Jones is real busy and wouldn't be around  to get in my way.

Would this be OK for an internship site? Why?

Case Study 2

At the end of the first week of school there was a knock on the agriculture teacher's door. A senior who was not in any of the agricultural classes came in. The conversation went as follows:

Hi! My name is Sam Smith. I would like to get into this Ag stuff and do some type of internship. I understand you can go out and make some money. I really need to make some money. You see I was planning on going to college next year and major in pre-med. I want to be a dentist. My grades are good and I've already been accepted. But you see I have a problem and I need to make some money real quick. I ran my car into a tree and smashed it up. I don't have any insurance so I need to make some money and fix up my car. Should this student be allowed to join agriculture and have an internship? Why?

Case Study 3

During the fourth week of school the agriculture teacher received a call from the John Deere dealer. The call went like this:

I am not pleased with the student you sent me for this ag internship program. The student is a nice kid but has sloppy handwriting and makes too many spelling errors on invoices. And I don't like the way he dresses." How could this problem have been prevented? How should student assignments to businesses be made?

Case Study 4

Sandra Jones is doing an internship at the Edinton Street Florist Shop. She has been employed about two months. Sandra complains that all she has been doing is answering the phone and taking orders. There are a lot of things she would like to learn about floriculture, but hasn't yet.

What should been done to insure that Sandra will learn a variety of horticulture skills?

Case Study 5

The agriculture teacher received a call one day from the owner of a local farm supply store. He wants to participate in the ag internship program. He needs a student to work in general retail and to drive a truck applying anhydrous ammonia during peak periods.

How should the agriculture teacher respond?

Case Study 6


Brenda Meyers is a junior and is 17 years old. She has an internship with the Mayflower Animal Hospital. She reports to the Animal Hospital at 6 am and feeds and waters the animals every morning (Monday-Friday). She leaves for school at 7:30. In the afternoon (Monday-Friday) she works from 4-5:30 PM cleaning cages and helping the vet with a variety of jobs. On Saturday she works from 8:00 am to noon. Brenda has an employment certificate, a training agreement and a training plan.

Do you see any problems with this internship?