Intern Nebraska Program; a good success story

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

I want to remind businesses and students about the Intern Nebraska program. Intern Nebraska provides financial assistance to businesses creating new internships and connects Nebraska's college students to hands-on internship opportunities.

Currently, more than 370 companies have participated in the Intern Nebraska grant program, providing internships to approximately 700 students. One-third of all participating companies employ less than 10 employees.

Now is the time for businesses to start posting quality fall internships and preparing to hire interns, and for students to start searching for top notch internships that best fit their specific criteria and skills sets.

Interns gain valuable business experience that will help them in future careers, while successful internships help businesses develop tomorrow's leaders. These internships often create lasting relationships between students and the business. Nearly 50 percent of interns become full-time employees at their places of internship.

In 2013, I signed LB476 into law which enhanced the Intern Nebraska Grant Program by increasing accessibility. This ensures that our talented students are given greater opportunities to grow professionally and increase their ties to Nebraska. Businesses from all industries, including non-profits, are now eligible to apply for grants. Applications are reviewed competitively and grants are awarded based on criteria evaluating the internship positions proposed, including the benefits to the students, benefits to the businesses, and the economic impact on the region.

Grants provide a 50 percent reimbursement for the wages paid to the students and may reach a maximum of $5,000 per internship. Businesses that hire students receiving Pell Grants will be eligible to receive a 75 percent reimbursement and up to $7,500 per internship. Businesses may be awarded a grant for up to 10 internship positions; however, each business location is limited to a maximum of 5 interns.

All full-time students who are enrolled in colleges or universities in Nebraska, or are Nebraska residents attending colleges or universities outside Nebraska are eligible interns. Students who have graduated from a college or university within the past six months are also considered eligible interns. Businesses must pay the students minimum wage or higher, and offer internships with durations that allow students enough time to gain valuable work experience.

Students find their internship experiences valuable. More than 40 percent rated their overall internships a 10 out of 10. According to the evaluations submitted by interns, approximately 50 percent of interns who shared their future plans reported they were graduating and starting full-time permanent positions with the companies where they interned.

The Intern Nebraska program will be conducting a follow-up survey to businesses and interns later this month to better estimate the long-term full-time job offer rate to interns. I encourage all businesses and students to participate in the survey and help measure the overall success and impact of Intern Nebraska on Nebraska's economic and workforce development.

The InternNE.com website continues to see success since its launch early last year. The site provides easy navigation and a growing source of potential talent. Businesses are finding it especially helpful with posting internships and managing grants in one convenient place.

For more information or to post or view paid internships, visit InternNE.com.