Gain Hands-On Experience with a Berks Technical Institute Externship 

At Berks Technical Institute, we design our programs to enable each student to succeed in the job market and in their new career. An important part of that hands-on experience is the externship.

What Is an Externship?

In the final stage of your education at BTI, you will participate in an externship.* As one of your final courses, you will be placed in a working environment where you can practice all of the skills you learned in the classroom.

This type of learning takes place “on-the-job” as you get to experience the day-to-day responsibilities of the job first-hand.

What Kinds of Externships Are Available?

Many of our programs have different ways that you can gain this unique hands-on experience. Over the last three decades, our staff and faculty at Berks Technical Institute have cultivated over 480 professional working relationships with businesses and organizations in the Wyomissing area.

Available externships will depend on your field of study. Below are some possible externships:

• In the Paralegal program, you could have an externship in a courthouse or law office.
• In the Dental Assisting program, you could have an externship in a dental office.
• In the Criminal Justice program, you could have an externship with a corrections facility or a police station.
• In the Massage Therapy program, you could have an externship in a spa or physical therapist's office.

Whichever program you enter, you will be able to get the hands-on experience you need that will show potential employers that you know how to use your education on the job.

Toward the end of your program, you will meet with our Externship Coordinator. Together, you will determine the best placement for your interests and your skills. Before entering the externship, you will enter into an agreement with BTI and the externship site to ensure your responsibilities and program guidelines are clear.

Once you begin the externship, you will submit weekly reports on your attendance, activities, and learning. Your supervisor at the externship site will also provide an evaluation and feedback on your performance at the midpoint and conclusion of your externship.

During your externship, BTI's Externship Coordinator also makes a planned visit to observe you on-the-job. A second visit may be required for further training.

Why Do You Need an Externship?

Upon completion of the externship, you will learn how to translate your job experience onto your résumé and learn how to talk about it during a job interview. Being able to go to a job interview with hands-on learning experience will help make you stand out even more from other job candidates. 

Knowing how to perform your job duties is one thing, but actually being able to do them and proving that you’ve done it before can make all the difference.

For more information about externships offered through BTI, call us at 866.481.9301 or click here to request more information.

*Externships are not required for all programs.