The following letter is from a group of Linford College alumni to the chair of the art department at the college.” In a recent survey of college graduates, 90 percent agreed that participating in an internship increased their chances of finding a job after graduation, but last year, only 40 percent of Linford’s graduating art students had completed an internship. Skyway Designs, located in nearby Linford City, is the perfect company for students to intern with for a number of reasons: They offer internships in all of their departments, so every student is sure to find work that they are interested in. Additionally, their internships offer flexible working hours. Finally, Skyway Designs is known for being one of the best in the design business, as over 80 percent of businesses in Linford City have used the services of Skyway Designs for their design needs. Given the vital role that work experience plays in a student’s success after graduation, we recommend that our art department require all art students to complete an internship with Skyway Designs before graduation.”

The following letter is from a group of Linford College alumni to the chair of the art department at the college.

“In a recent survey of college graduates, 90 percent agreed that participating in an internship increased their chances of finding a job after graduation, but last year, only 40 percent of Linford’s graduating art students had completed an internship. Skyway Designs, located in nearby Linford City, is the perfect company for students to intern with for a number of reasons: They offer internships in all of their departments, so every student is sure to find work that they are interested in. Additionally, their internships offer flexible working hours. Finally, Skyway Designs is known for being one of the best in the design business, as over 80 percent of businesses in Linford City have used the services of Skyway Designs for their design needs. Given the vital role that work experience plays in a student’s success after graduation, we recommend that our art department require all art students to complete an internship with Skyway Designs before graduation.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

Skyway Designs, a company that creates and designs various products for other companies, offers art students an opportunity to gain experience in a real work environment. This experience may add value to the art students’ resumes and bolster their chances of securing future jobs. However, there are several questions that need to be answered before the recommendation can be put into action. First, why would a company wish to hire art students, as opposed to more experienced workers? The answer may be that Skyway Designs specializes in products that appeal to younger clientele, so it prefers to hire employees that can bring a fresh approach to the company’s designs. Even if this is true, the company could still choose to hire experienced designers, especially if the interns in question are fresh out of college, in which case the experience gained during the internship could prove to be invaluable.

Second, what differentiates Skyway Designs from other design companies? Although the company has been in business for a number of years, there are certainly other companies that offer similar services. If these other companies are located in or near Linford City, then students could complete the internship at a company closer to home. However, if they are located elsewhere, then students may end up spending a significant amount of time traveling to complete their tasks. This arrangement could prove to be detrimental to the students’ education, as it would cut into their valuable time in class. In this case, it may be more useful for Skyway Designs to partner up with another local company so that all interns would have a base without requiring them to travel.

Third, how does Skyway Designs define success in an intern? Without a clear definition of success, it is difficult to determine how well the program is doing. If the internship is perceived as a failure when students do not get hired after they graduate, then the program cannot be used as a mandatory requirement. However, if an internship at Skyway Designs is deemed successful if the students get hired, then it may be worthwhile for students to complete an internship at the company. Furthermore, if the program is successful if students get hired, then it may still be worthwhile if students do not find jobs right away. This is because many jobs are available only after months of searching for them, and the process of searching for a job can be extremely stressful. Students may not be ready to find jobs right away, so they may benefit from spending a few more months in art class, so that they can work on projects and find jobs that are suitable for them. However, if students do not have a clear understanding of success, then they may be discouraged from participating in the internship program altogether.

The internship program presented by Skyway Designs appears sound on the surface, but there are several questions that must be answered before it can be put into practice. The answers to these questions can help to increase the likelihood of the program’s success, and the student experience gained during the program.