Sony pictures entertainment

SCHOOL CREDIT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM INFORMATION

FOR SPONSORING DEPARTMENTS

Program Description

Sony Picture Entertainment’s (SPE’s) School Credit Internship Program is a training program that provides eligible students with exposure to how a major entertainment company operates. During the internship, students will gain insight into the inner workings of the business and the dynamics in the industry and participate in projects as determined by the sponsoring department. SPE offers the program four times per calendar year, with specific dates dependent on the local school schedules. Available internships are based solely on timely department requests. Positions are commonly available in production, marketing, publicity and promotions and information technology.

Program Timing

School credit internships are offered four times per year – Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. The program dates are follows:

  • Fall Quarter/Semester: School terms between mid-August and late December
  • Winter Quarter/Spring Semester: School terms between early January and late May
  • Spring Quarter: School term between late March and mid-June
  • Summer Quarter/Semester: School terms between early June and late August.

These timeframes were established based on Los Angeles area school schedules, including their class/internship registration dates.

Intern Eligibility Requirements

Students who are enrolled in a high school, accredited college or university that offers course credit for an internship may visit or to view available school credit internship positions. Eligible students interested in an available position may submit their resumes as long as their skills and qualifications match those that are required for the position.

Prior to starting an internship, a selected candidate must:

  1. Provide documentation from his/her school stating that s/he will receive course credit for the internship (the student’s name must be on the document), and specifying the school term during which the student will receive such credit (e.g. Spring Quarter 2008 or Fall Semester 2008, etc.). Acceptable forms of documentation include:
  2. A letter on official school letterhead which includes the signature of the appropriate school official (such as Dean or Registrar);
  3. The student’s school registration receipt/acknowledgement which includes the internship class title and a copy of the class description;
  4. An internship agreement/contract from the school which includes the signature of the school’s internship program coordinator.
  5. Provide a course syllabus outlining the internship program course requirements set forth by his/her school.
  6. The internship candidate will then need to fill out SPE’s Application, Self-ID, and CARCO forms.
  7. The candidate must successfully complete a background investigation.
  8. Obtain a Work Permit and submit a completedAuthorization to Consent to Medical Care for Minors Form (if under 18 years of age).
  9. Within 72 hours of starting an internship, a selected candidate must:
  • Complete and submit the documents contained in the School Credit Internship Paperwork Packet
  • Submit school verification

Position Eligibility Requirements

State and federal wage and hour laws generally require minimum payment for any work performed. However, an exception exists for training programs (such as school credit internships) which meet certain eligibility requirements. In order for a department to participate in the School Credit Internship Program, the following requirements must be met:

Position-related requirements:

  • The training that the intern receives must be similar to that which is given in a vocational school.
  • The training must be general, as to qualify the interns for work in any similar business, rather than designed specifically for a job with SPE (in other words, at completion of the program, the intern must not be fully trained to work only for SPE).
  • The assigned work must provide training for the benefit of the intern.
  • SPE must derive no immediate advantage from the activities of the interns and, on occasion, SPE’s operations may actually be impeded.

Additionally, the intern must:

  • Understand that s/he is not entitled to wages for the assigned work and will not receive employee benefits.
  • Work under the close observation of regular employees - not displace them.*
  • Not necessarily be entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
  • Not work more than the maximum hours indicated on the chart below (if under 18 years of age).

Age / School in Session / School Not in Session
14 or 15 / Must not work more than three hours on any school day or more than 18 hours in any week, and must not work during school hours. / Must not work more than eight hours in a day, or more than 40 hours in a week. In addition, must not work any time before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., except that from June 1 through Labor Day such interns may work until 9:00 p.m.
16 or 17 / Must not work more than four hours on any school day, or more than eight hours on any non-school day, or more than 48 hours in a week. In addition, must not work before 5:00 a.m., or after 10:00 p.m., on any evening preceding a school day. / Must not work more than eight hours on any non-school day, or more than 48 hours in a week.

Any time the above requirements cannot be met, whether during participation in this training program or otherwise, the minimum hourly wage must be paid to the individual performing work for SPE.

* In addition, per various collective bargaining agreements, the interns cannot perform work that could be currently or previously performed by union employees, unless otherwise expressly agreed upon by SPE and the applicable union.

School Credit Internship Program Suggestions for Sponsoring Departments

The following suggestions were developed to assist sponsoring departments with structuring the internship experience to satisfy the position eligibility requirements for the School Credit Internship Program:*

1.Meet with the intern periodically to make sure all internship program course requirements, as set forth by the intern’s school (which may be indicated on his/her course syllabus), are fulfilled.

2.Provide for regular interaction between the intern and his/her supervisor through consistent involvement with the intern’s daily activities.

3.Assign projects in which the intern has the opportunity to research and learn information related to the department’s general area of business.

4.Let the intern observe/shadow a variety of individuals within the department/group to learn about their various roles and responsibilities.

5.Have the intern attend regularly scheduled daily or weekly one-on-one meetings with his/her supervisor to discuss the intern’s recently acquired knowledge and experiences, and for the supervisor to share information regarding current department and company activities.

6.Have the intern attend department and other group meetings (when appropriate and practical) in order to gain a better understanding of the general activities within the department/group.

7.Provide opportunities for the intern to attend and observe special events to gain an understanding of the business practices within the department/group or company.

8.Provide the appropriate resources so that the intern may read publications, newsletters, websites, etc., which will enable him/her to gain insight on a variety of topics related to that area of business or industry.

9.Have the intern document his/her internship learning experiences (through a daily or weekly journal or other type of document). This documentation will be used as a tool for the intern to discuss his/her recently acquired knowledge and experiences, and make it easier for the intern to complete a School Credit Internship Experience Assessment Form at the end of the internship.

10.Send the intern to at least one Information Technology training course (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Access, etc).

* Please note that these are merely suggestions and that adhering to the above noted position eligibility requirements is essential for the position to be exempt from minimum wage requirements. Sponsoring departments which need assistance with designing activities to meet program requirements should contact the Internship Program Administrator.

Sponsoring Department’s Procedures for Program Participation

If the sponsoring department can satisfy the program requirements, it must follow the procedures listed below to initiate program participation:

  1. Obtain the SPE School Credit Internship Program Information for Sponsoring Departments document and the SPE Unpaid School Credit Intern Request Form (“Form”) by calling the Internship Program Administrator (“Administrator”) at 310-244-4259 or via email at .
  2. Complete the Form and return it to the Administrator on or before the date noted below:
  • Fall Quarter/Semester: September 30th
  • Winter Quarter/Spring Semester: December 31st
  • Spring Quarter: March 15th
  • Summer Quarter/Semester: June 15th
  1. Receive confirmation from the Administrator that the position is eligible for the program.
  • If not eligible for the program, the Administrator will advise the requester as to the next step(s).
  1. Screen and interview candidates.
  • If requested on the Form, the Administrator posts the internship on either:
  • SPE’s career website ( which is posted free of charge, or;
  • Monstertrak.com, the country’s leading internship and employment website for students and recent graduates. Posting on this site costs $123.25and is billed to the requesting department. Postings on this site are viewable by all college students.
  • All resumes received are forwarded directly to the requester.
  1. Extend a conditional offer of internship to the final candidate and determine aprojectedstart date (Please explain to the candidate that the offer is conditional based upon the successful completion of the background check).
  2. Notify the Administrator that a contingent offer was made, and provide the candidate’s personal information and projectedstart date to the Administrator.
  • The Administrator calls the final candidate to confirm the offer and review program eligibility requirements as soon as possible.
  • If the final candidate cannot meet the program requirements, another final candidate must be identified.
  • If the final candidate confirms that s/he can meet the program requirements, the Administrator will:
  • Send the candidate a soft copy of the Application, Self-ID, and CARCO forms.
  • Once the completed Application, Self-ID, and CARCO forms are returned to the Administrator, the background check will be sent off for processing.
  • The internship candidate MUST pass the background check before they can begin their internship. The background check can take up to 3 weeks to process.
  • Once the background checks have cleared the hiring manager will be notified and will need to coordinate the start date with the intern and advise the Administrator of the date.
  • If the results of the background check are not to SPE’s satisfaction, the Administrator will notify the supervisor that the internship can not begin.
  • Once the start date is determined:
  • The Administrator will set up a meeting time with the intern.
  • Confirms the offer in writing. (The supervisor is copied on the correspondence.)
  • Provides and collects the appropriate paperwork and required documents from the intern. If the intern starts the internship without completing the appropriate paperwork and providing the required documents, s/he has within 72 hours of his/her start date to submit such to Administrator or the internship will be terminated.
  1. The Administrator will coordinate the intern’s identification badge and parking decal access.
  2. Manage the internship.
  • On the intern’s first day, review the intern’s course syllabus outlining the internship program course requirements set forth by his/her school to assist you in developing an appropriate internship experience.
  • As soon as possible, enroll the intern in SPE’s mandatory Preventing Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination course.
  • If the intern is under the age of 18, s/he must submit a weekly timecard to the Administrator to show compliance with maximum hours requirements set forth in the above Position Eligibility Requirements.
  • If necessary, contact the appropriate Human Resources Business Partner to discuss concerns regarding the intern and/or the intern’s performance.
  • At least two weeks prior to the scheduled end of the internship, the Administrator will remind the supervisor of the upcoming internship end date, and forward the School Credit Internship Experience Assessment Form (for the intern to complete), the School Credit Intern Evaluation Forms (for the supervisor to complete), and a Supervisor’s Exit Checklist.
  1. End or extend internship.
  • If the internship ends, on the intern’s last day, follow the procedures noted on the Supervisor’s Exit Checklist.
  • To extend the internship beyond the school term (quarter or semester) for which the intern is receiving credit, the intern must enroll in a different credit course than the one for which s/he already received credit and all SPE School Credit Internship Program eligibility requirements must be met. Inform the Administrator of the intent to extend the internship.
  • The intern will then be required to submit documentation from his/her school stating that s/he will receive course credit for the internship for an additional semester.

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Revised 8/07/08

SPESCHOOL CREDIT INTERN REQUEST FORM

Prior to completing this Form, please review the School Credit Internship Program Overview.

REQUESTER’S NAME:______DIVISION/DEPARTMENT:______

PHONE #:______FAX #:______

TODAY’S DATE:______# OF INTERNS DESIRED: ______

School Term Needed:

Fall Quarter/Semester: Between mid-August and late December (Request Form must be submitted by September 30)

Winter Quarter/Spring Semester: Between early January and late May (Request Form must be submitted by December 31)

Spring Quarter: Between late March and mid-June (Request Form must be submitted by March 15)

Summer Quarter/Semester: Between early June and late August (Request Form must be submitted by June 15)

Desired Start Date:*______Desired End Date:*______

(*Specific start and end dates of internships are based on school requirements)

Internship Learning Opportunities/Experience Profile:

Please describe the knowledge, skills and experiences the school credit intern will gain during this internship.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

Please describe the skills and qualifications the school credit intern will need in order to benefit the most from this internship.

Yes / No / Any or all of the duties of this internship could be performed by a union employee?

Preferred Schedule and Hours Requested (restrictions will apply if the intern is under age 18, and specific schedule/hours will be based on intern availability and school requirements):

Monday ______to ______ / Tuesday ______to ______ / Wednesday ______to ______
Thursday ______to ______ / Friday ______to ______

Internship Posting Options:

/ Yes / No
/ Yes* / No
*If Yes, walker/charge number for mostertrak.com posting ($123.25 charge): _ _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _

Entity Dept

If Yes for either or both of the above, e-mail Address for resume submissions:______

Acknowledgement: I have read the attached School Credit Internship Program Information for Sponsoring Departments.

______

Signature of Intern RequesterSignature of Requester’s Department Head

______

Printed Name of Intern RequesterPrinted Name of Requester’s Department Head

Return completed form to Internship Program Administrator, SPP 3900, fax 310-244-2307, phone 310-244-4259

Date received by Internship Program Administrator:______

Revised 08/07/07