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The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, ancestry, age, disability or veteran status in employment or the provision of services. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.
The purpose of this document is to communicate the process for hiring and retaining students who are enrolled in the Kentucky State Government Cooperative Education and Internship Program. The uniform and impartial application of this process, along with adequate explanations based on the educational institution's requirements and the program policies, will maintain the integrity of the program and our relationship with students and their respective educational institutions.
This document does not replace or supersede the Kentucky State Government Cooperative Education and Internship Program Policies which may be found on the Personnel Cabinet's web site.
This document is provided on-line to insure that every administrator has access in order to fully comply with the requirements for hiring and retaining students. When educational or programmatic changes occur, the document will be revised and the date will be noted. It is the responsibility of each administrator to use the current document. All necessary revisions and additions will be issued by the Personnel Cabinet.
The program serves as a recruiting tool for agencies that cannot find potential employees with appropriate skills in order to fill their vacant positions. The program helps agencies meet their short-term staffing needs in critical skill areas. It also serves as a mechanism for Kentucky students to obtain practical on-the-job experience and academic credit as part of their educational experience.
Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship (Intern) students are eligible for unemployment insurance if they work more than 12 weeks and do not receive academic credit. In order for students to participate in this program, the Personnel Cabinet will require that the student receive academic credit and the university supply proof of said credit to the Personnel Cabinet. This is different from the previous practice where students could participate whether they received academic credit or not.
It is our desire to reach educational institutions and students statewide and to value and embrace our differences without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, ancestry, age, disability or veteran status. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Our commitment is to foster an environment of learning and support so that all parties benefit from this experience.
Employment of Co-op/Intern Students
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All students from vocational/technical college systems, community colleges and accredited post-secondary colleges and universities, or other educational institutions approved by the Personnel Cabinet are eligible to participate in this Program.
Students at all classification levels are eligible to participate when all program, educational institution and the receipt of academic credit requirements are met.
Cooperative education and internship students are required to complete an online application in the Career Opportunities System and self-nominate to the Co-op/Intern Program posting. Interested students must also submit the Academic Credit Agreement form and an unofficial copy of their transcripts to the Co-op/Intern Program Coordinator. The Academic Credit Agreement form must be signed by a counselor, advisor or cooperative education coordinator at their respective educational institution.
International students enrolled in Kentucky schools must be in the country legally with an educational visa. The F-1 visa for academic purposes is for college students. The student can continue to work under this visa 60 days after its expiration date. Students holding an M-1 visa for vocational purposes for college can continue to work under this visa 30 days after its expiration date. However, after this time the student is responsible for requesting an extension through the designated school official.
The student is no longer eligible to participate in the Program if higher education is not sought after receiving the extension or if an extension is not granted. The same administrative process for hiring international students applies as indicated in the document.
The documents must be mailed to: Co-op/Intern Coordinator, Personnel Cabinet, State Office Building, 1st Floor, 501 High Street, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. The documents will be reviewed to insure all requirements are met before students are placed in the Program.
A student's applicant may be requested from the Program's database. However, the agency can also find the applicant. If an agency finds an applicant, please direct the student to complete an online application in the Career Opportunities System and self-nominate to the Co-op/Intern Program posting. Students must also submit the Academic Credit Agreement form and an unofficial copy of their transcripts to the Co-op/Intern Program Coordinator.
On occasion, educational administrators request exceptions from the 2.5 GPA requirement when the GPA is less than 2.5. The request is indicated on the supplement form and requires the signature of a counselor, advisor or cooperative education and internship coordinator. It is not required that the agency hire the student; however, the educational institution has determined that if placed, the student would benefit from the on-the-job experience.
When hiring students, it may be necessary to request the Governor's Office of Policy and Management to adjust the interim caps to accommodate the hiring of students. All students are hired as non-merit employees. The job classification is Co-op/Intern (9901) at pay grade 48 (see attached schedule).
Some educational institutions provide extended academic credit to students who work across semesters. The agency may keep the students across semesters whenever possible. A record of academic credit must be on file. If the student needs documentation for the educational institution, he/she may need a copy of the P-1 indicating a continuation of employment.
P-1 Processing
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All students are hired as non-merit employees and coded as H for item #28 on the P-1 and item #29 should be recorded as an I. A student receiving academic credit, who has not graduated or is seeking higher education can be carried over across semesters.
The H-I code allows them to work in this capacity and be paid hourly. The payroll system has been modified to treat co-op/interns the same as "interim." When the student works full-time hours he or she shall accrue one sick day per month. These new codes were effective May 16, 2001, the P-l's were automatically generated and they are counted in the interim cap.
Requirements:
- A student must be enrolled on a full-time basis (at least 12 credit hours)
- Or participating in a full-time educational institution cooperative education/internship and receiving at least three credit hours per semester.
- Provide proof of academic credit.
- If a student has graduated, he/she is no longer eligible to participate in the Program. It is necessary for the student to resign as a co-op/intern.
Salary
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A salary range guide for co-op/interns is provided and incorporated in the Program Policies. Students are assigned to pay grade 48 in the appropriate levels. For undergraduate students with normal recruiting majors (Level II) and graduate and undergraduate students with difficult recruiting majors (Level III) and Level IV for legal intern students. It is the agency's responsibility to insure fairness and proper placement in the salary range. Any corrections or changes to salary can be generated by a salary change P-1.
Salary ranges or adjustments are not determined by the student's educational classification, the semester before or during graduation or the number of college credit hours earned or carrying.
Benefits
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A Co-op/Intern shall receive holiday pay for the hours the employee is scheduled to work. If the student is scheduled to work four (4) hours, he/she will receive four (4) hours of holiday pay (Reference Personnel Memo 99-14 (PDF - 46 KB), December 13, 1999) A student shall receive overtime for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
Removals
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Every effort should be made to terminate a student at the end of the semester. This will allow the student to obtain academic credit. Resignations and terminations should be processed as regular personnel actions. Students may be unaware that termination may happen before the semester ends.
A reduction in work hours may be required due to the student's change in class schedule or if the Administrator at the educational institution finds a more suitable placement. However, it is the student's responsibility to properly resign from his/her position with proper notice. A termination letter must be issued if the student abandons his or her position.
If the educational institution removes a student from the Program, the Coordinator's office should be notified and is responsible for notifying the student and employing agency. Sometimes students are removed before they are placed with an agency.
A student is no longer eligible to participate in the program after graduation. If the student is seeking higher education, it is the students' responsibility to secure the Academic Credit Agreement from the educational institution. After receiving updated forms, the Coordinator's office will up-date the file in the database and remove from the inactive file. If up-dated educational and academic credit work requirements are needed, information can be requested from the Coordinator's office.
Monitoring and Reporting
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It is the responsibility of the Coordinator's Office to monitor the Program and make reports available to the agencies and educational institutions. The Personnel Cabinet implemented a new database system for the Program in April, 2001.
Status reports on student data are available upon request from the Coordinator's Office. It is possible to request special reports particular to an agency's need. Various queries are also available such as, accounting majors, who are sophomores through seniors and who are willing to work in Franklin, Fayette and Jefferson counties.
When educational institution requirements, personnel processing or benefits change, the administrative procedure document will be revised and the appropriate date for changes will be indicated. For example, a new salary schedule for co-op/interns (pay grade 48) is effective May 1, 2004.
Recruitment
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Efforts to increase the applicant pool for the Program are made on an on-going basis. The Coordinator's office should participate in recruitment and outreach programs, form partnerships with other agencies and work with educational institutions for eligible students.
Salary Range Guide (Effective May 1, 2004)
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Pay Grade: 48
| $5.749 - $7.616 per hour or $934.22 - $1237.60 per month |
Level I |
High School |
| $6.955 - $9.389 per hour or $1130.20 - $1525.72 per month |
Level II |
Undergraduate with majors which are not major recruiting problems. Examples: Office Administration, English, Journalism, Marketing, History and Public Administration. |
| $8.450 - $11.355 per hour or $1367.44 - $1845.20 per month |
Level III |
Graduate students, Undergraduate students with majors which are frequently difficult to recruit. Examples: Criminal Justice, Wildlife Biology, Agriculture, Mining Technology, Engineering, Law, Computer Science and Chemistry. |
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