Internships and Employment

We have a database of more than 450 companies within the Capital Region that use CAD and are potential internship and/or employment sites.

Internship and employment opportunities are developed through informational interviews with students enrolled in the program, continued outreach to employers by program staff, referrals from graduates, and direct recruiting by companies via our program office at (518) 629-7584, or the Center for Careers and Transfer at (518) 629-7326.

Employers: Join our List

Fill out this form to join our list to be included. Our staff will confirm you are interested in providing an internship and/or participate in job shadowing, informational interviews and facility tours.

About Internships

Over the past 20 years, students from the Computer Aided Drafting Certificate Program of Hudson Valley Community College have increased their proficiency and marketability in CAD through the use of internships. During the fall and spring, students are being trained in the latest CAD software and we are enlisting the business community to become part of this educational process. While more than 150 companies have participated in this program during the past several years, we would like to review the purpose and procedures for hosting an intern from this program. Please consider hosting a full-time, six-week, CAD intern beginning in May, some part-time internships could begin earlier.

Our reasons for having students conduct internships include:

  • Provide an experiential opportunity for students to mold their classroom training into marketable employment skills
  • Allow students to explore and develop skills in a specific CAD application or discipline
  • Allow a student to develop the office skills necessary for a professional/technical work environment

Because of the desired educational focus of this assignment, the program does not obligate that companies pay interns or provide on-going employment at the internship's conclusion; however, because our students are in high demand, employers often choose to pay our interns.

Over the years, hundreds of students in this CAD certificate program have successfully participated in this internship process as a critical step in entering the various fields where CAD is used. Many have gone from their internships to employment within the host firm or to successful employment searches in the Capital District and beyond.

To participate in the upcoming internship program starting in late May, we are asking companies to express their interest by filling out an annual Web survey, that will be emailed to our contacts at more than 300 companies, early March. In late March, students will be contacting those companies who have agreed to informational interviews to learn more about the company. By mid April, students should have set up appointments for interviews. We hope to have positions finalized and interns starting end of May.

The selection process will provide your company an opportunity to meet one or more students, review their resume and interview them. Students will simultaneously be meeting with multiple companies, as is appropriate, to help them determine where their best fit is. When a mutually agreeable match has been made, our office will proceed with the internship arrangement, sending you a contract to fill out and setting up insurance coverage for our students while at your place of employment.

If you have questions about the program, internship or the form, please feel free to contact Peter Fil at (518) 629-4837, or via email at p.fil@abadiadetortoreos.com or Amy McEwing (518) 629-7584; email at a.mcewing@abadiadetortoreos.com.

Responsibilities and Requirements

Internship sites will:

  • Provide, assign, and supervise work that will enhance the CAD training of the Intern.
  • Develop an outline of duties to be performed by the Intern for approval by the CAD Program staff (form provided).
  • Review Intern's performance and skill sets (form provided).
  • Allow students to attend Internship seminar course on Friday afternoons, three times during the Internship, from 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Open a dialogue about current technology trends and software for the college to be aware of.

Interns will:

  • Log a minimum of 192 hours of work with CAD environment.
  • Compliance with normal employee procedures with regard to dress code, regular work hours and conduct.
  • Attend practicum seminar course on Friday afternoons, three times during the Internship, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Program staff will:

  • Conduct at least one site visitation to see that Internship objectives are met.
  • Be available to assist with any problematic issues that arise during the Internship period.
  • Provide certificate stating liability coverage of student by Hudson Valley Community College.

Program Dates and Compensation Information

  • The Internship should begin within a week to ten days following the training portion of the program. The Internship runs during the summer, generally starting in late May. Exact start dates should be arranged between the Intern and the host company.
  • Hudson Valley Community College does not mandate any level of compensation for Interns during the internship. Many companies offer a stipend to offset transportation and other cost during this training period.

Employers: Join our List

Fill out this form to join our list to be included among more than 300 CAD-related companies.

*If you have a need to employ a recent graduate immediately, you can do so through the Center for Careers and Transfer Job Bank. This Job Bank is available to our students and alumni.