SBDC Hire Badgers: Student Staffing Opportunities for Small Business

Did you know that the UW-Madison Work-Study Program, previously reserved for on-campus and non-profit organizations, has been expanded to small businesses – and, as of September 2023, even covers 50% of the wages earned? Or that many UW-Madison students pursue internship opportunities as a way to develop new skills and explore career pathways while they are studying at UW?  

By providing internship and work-study opportunities for UW-Madison students, businesses can: 

• Increase staff diversity 

• Focus on back-burner projects 
• Engage with talented, enthusiastic students 
• Give back to the community through mentorship 
• Hire affordable staff who can make a true contribution to the organization 
• Provide management experience for current staff and career development opportunities for students 

• Gain access to skillsets not currently on your staff 
• Contribute to community/university relationships 
• Develop a potential recruitment pipeline (with lower cost/risk) 
• Have new perspectives and enthusiasm 

If you’ve ever wondered about hiring a UW-Madison student, this session is for you! We’ll discuss the differences between the Work-Study Program and student internship opportunities and help you understand more about how to make the experience a successful one for both you and the student.  

Throughout the session we’ll cover: 

• How the Work-Study and internship programs work, and how businesses can participate 
• How to create an engaging internship opportunity that offers interesting, meaningful work 
• The mechanics of how to post jobs, interview, and hire 
• An overview of who our students are and what they are interested in 

• How to establish appropriate tasks for students and set everyone up for success 
• Details of who is eligible to offer internships and work-study opportunities, what qualifies as an internship 

Who is eligible to hire UW-Madison students?  

• Work-study: Non-profits and small businesses can apply for the work-study program to hire UW-Madison work study students. Currently, work study students can work anywhere in the state of Wisconsin. 
• Internships: Non-profits, start-ups and small businesses from all industries and sectors are strongly encouraged to consider hiring interns