Be an AMIP Host
Join our growing community of industry and community partners and share your workplaces, experiences and passions with ALES students. We work with hosts across all of our faculty’s undergraduate student programs who are interested in working with our students, connecting with our faculty and mentoring the future workforce.
What types of businesses or organizations qualify for hosting?
Any business related to agriculture, life or environmental sciences is welcome to apply. Contact us at amip@ualberta.ca if you’d like to discuss whether your organization would benefit from this experience.
What should we expect as a host?
A pair (minimum) of ALES students eager to learn more about your business, get their hands dirty and have some fun. We provide hosts with detailed program information in advance of the start date so you can start planning for your mini-interns. If available, an AMIP staff member will do a site tour with you to answer any questions you may have.
What should we do with the students?
Take them on a tour, include them in your work day and discuss your career path. Students are prepared to assist with tasks to round out their experience in your workplace.
How are students chosen to ensure they are interested in our work?
Students complete an application and interview before we carefully match them with a host within their area of interest.
Do we need to provide transportation, accommodation or meals?
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the worksite as well as meals. For those hosts located outside the Edmonton area, we work with the students to arrange accommodation, typically at a nearby hotel, but we welcome onsite accommodations as well.
Do we provide PPE and safety training?
Our student orientation covers safety basics, and we look to hosts to provide supervision and inform the students of the hazards they may encounter onsite. We also provide hosts a list of prohibited activities for student interns. Hosts and students are encouraged to have a safety discussion at the beginning of each day of their placement.
In most cases, hosts provide PPE that suits their working environments. For hosts unable to provide PPE to the students on site, ALES will equip students with the appropriate safety equipment prior to their departure.
What about biosecurity?
At the University of Alberta, biosecurity is of utmost importance; please share any biosecurity requirements you have so we can accommodate your needs and share with students in advance.
Are the student interns paid?
No. The students are volunteering their time to come learn and get hands-on experience, and are not paid by the hosts or the university.
If AMIP isn’t a good match for our business but we want to support ALES students, what options are available?
If you’re looking for a longer opportunity to provide students with experience, the U of A offers internship programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, including the Science Internship Program and Graduate Student Internship Program.