Virginia State Council Of Higher Education, VA
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Are you a Virginia-based higher ed institution looking to integrate online, career-readiness learning modules into your curriculum, program, or internship? V-TOP modules offer flexible, self-paced learning experiences that help participants build critical skills such as communication, problem-solving, and workplace readiness.
To find out more, complete the V-TOP module request form, and a V-TOP team member will contact you within 2–3 business days to answer questions, and guide you through the onboarding process.
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Resources for Students
V-TOP recommends that students participate in these modules with the support of faculty or staff at your school, college, or university or with oversight by your internship supervisor or other mentor. While all the online student courses can be completed by a student working alone, small group activities and time for reflection and discussion with others will enrich the experience.
The training modules are delivered through the Canvas learning management system.
- Developing Career Readiness Skills: Create a plan to help college students or current interns accomplish individual goals, articulate accomplishments, and shape a competency development story.
- Graduate Student –Professional Development Scholarships: Scholarships for professional development are available to graduate students in education, human services/social work, counseling/school psychology, and human resource graduate degree programs whose career interests include advancing work-based learning opportunities for students.
- Micro-Internship Opportunities: The Virginia Micro-Internship Experience is part of a broader statewide strategy to expand paid work-based learning opportunities and strengthen undergraduate students’ readiness for Virginia’s workforce. Through this program, students gain equitable access to high-quality, paid, short-term micro-internships while employers tap into a diverse pipeline of emerging talent across the Commonwealth.
- Student Ambassador Program: Empower undergraduate ambassadors to use social media to promote Virginia Intern Day, showcase their work-based learning experiences and expand awareness of these opportunities across the Commonwealth. This program helps students build leadership skills, develop social capital and gain meaningful experience. All of which helps strengthen pathways for emerging talent, increase access to career-connected learning, and support the development of Virginia’s future workforce.
- Student Internship Toolkit: This series of free online modules will cover topics such as securing an internship, resume development, interviews, preparing for your first few days, maximizing your experience, and ending the internship professionally.
- Teamship: Grow your students’ social capital and professional network by working with business leaders across Virginia. Help you students build durable skills employers want most such as collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
- Top Intern Awards: The Commonwealth seeks to recognize the “Top 50 Virginia Interns” and their roles as emerging talent and future leaders via this inaugural award.
Past Top Employers for Interns award recipients by year
Resources for Higher Education Institutions
Becoming a Career Champion: V-TOP recommends that faculty, staff, and educators participate in these courses to develop their skills to become career champions for current and future students. In the following free online course, you will develop skills and practices to become a champion for students’ career success through effective mentoring, guidance, and fostering a culture of career readiness within post-secondary education institutions.
The training modules are delivered through the Canvas learning management system.
Grants to Support Work-Integrated Learning Expansion
Data Collection & Reporting Guidance for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), through V-TOP, provides guidance to support institutions in the consistent collection and reporting of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) data. This includes a standardized set of Work-Based Learning (WBL) definitions and guidance to help campuses accurately identify and integrate WIL experiences across academic and co-curricular programs.
For more information or support, please contact: Carolyn Sutphin at carolynsutphin@schev.edu or Dr. Lauren Jackson at laurenjackson@schev.edu.
The Matching Grants Program is now administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and features updated eligibility criteria. Please visit the InternshipsVA page for more information about the new criteria for funding that can match up to 50% of each intern’s wages for organizations with 150 employees or fewer in Virginia.
Mentorship
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership Mentorship training (virtual or in-person) is designed to bridge the gap between work-based learning and career readiness for students, employees, and supervisors across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
What Participants Gain
- A clear understanding of effective mentorship practices.
- Guidance for incorporating mentorship into institutional and organizational practices.
- Practical communication and goal-setting techniques.
- Approaches that strengthen career readiness and talent development.
- Tools to support mentors, mentees, and organizations alike.
To request a Mentorship Training Session, click the following link: For more information and to get connected regarding V-TOP’s mentorship program.