Agreements

The internship tasks or assignments have to be discussed and described by both the company and yourself. An employee at the company will be appointed your company coach – in accordance with the company coach profile. 

Communication with the company before you start your internship should include agreements on at least the following: 

• Duration: an internship period takes at least 12 weeks (full time); not including holidays.
• Illness: agree on which steps should be taken, should you become ill.
• Assignment: discuss what your tasks will be, and on what project you will be working during your internship; and how this matches your personal development.
• Meetings: already schedule (preferably weekly) individual meetings with your company coach, to discuss your development. 
• Allowance: the company providing the internship is not obliged to pay an allowance. Each company has its own policy regarding an allowance but in most cases you can claim travel expenses. The Department does not get involved in these negotiations; you will need to discuss this with the company.
• Trial period: discuss the necessity of a two-week trial period at your internship company. When the internship is not going as planned (for both the student and company) there is an option to terminate the internship at that point. Remember you will then be responsible for finding a new internship for another period of at least of 12 weeks. 
• Mid-term evaluation moment: plan ahead a mid-term evaluation moment with your company coach (and preferably your teacher coach), in which you will discuss your work at the company and your personal development.
• Final evaluation moment: plan ahead a final evaluation moment with your company coach. 

An agreement template with all these topics is included in the Forms and Files section, if this is completed without any changes, the Department of Industrial Design can sign this agreement. Should a company introduce their own agreement, take into account that the document needs to first be checked by the department before signing the document/s. 

Please send the contract/s or drafts to the internship coordinator to review and/or pass on to sign.

Be aware that you should not sign a contract, or at least be careful before signing a contract that includes “monetary fines” or a “non-competition clause” as this limits your freedom after your education regarding joining or starting a company in competition with the internship company. 

In some cases, companies request an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to be signed. Please go to the NDA page for additional information and sample contracts.

Always make the department aware if you’re working under an NDA.

The Department and/or the teacher coach reserve the right to cancel the internship after consulting both the student and the company if they agree that you have insufficient possibilities for effective learning and development. If this happens, you will have to find a new internship elsewhere, or carry out alternative learning activities. Plan a meeting with the internship coordinator if your internship has been cancelled.