As it becomes more challenging to find employees, many companies have discovered the long term benefits of hosting high school interns.

College internships have become a regular part of corporate America, as they provide companies with a pipeline for new hires, provide the company with a fresh perspective, and provide existing staff with the opportunity to mentor, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

College internship programs have a direct contribution to the talent pipeline, but what can high school internships do? Our businesses are looking for talent right now. How can bringing on a high school student help their immediate needs?

According to SHRM, high school internships help build brand awareness for companies and are able to fill their talent pipeline. Oftentimes the high school intern becomes a college intern then full time employee. Or in some cases the high school intern is able to accept a position upon college graduation.

“High school internships are a win-win for both employers and students,” said Robin D. Richards, chairman and CEO of Internships.com. “For students, work experience is the key to ensure they make a good career decision and build their professional network. By employing students, companies get exposure to talent early in their career journey and help support the well- being of the local community.”

In fact, 70% of companies say that high school students who complete their programs are either “very likely” or “completely likely” to eventually land a college internship with their company, Richards said.  And 45 percent said that high school internships will “very likely” or “completely likely” turn into a full-time job at their company.

High school internships can be paid or unpaid and the student can earn school credit. Internships can be coordinated through the Career and Technical Education staff at Johnston County schools. Currently the CTE department has students in healthcare, construction, manufacturing and hospitality. In addition students from the International Baccalaureate Programme at Smithfield-Selma also participate in internshipship programs.

The Chamber is currently hosting a high school intern. Our intern has assisted with our Legacy Awards Dinner, our E-newsletter, and working on our database. She has also taught us new social media techniques that have helped us better engage with our members. She has been on time, professional, and an asset to our team. We hope she chooses a career as a Chamber professional!

If you are ready to host an intern click here to register. If you would like more information contact Kathryn Farrior, Workforce Development Specialist at (919) 980-4562 ext 1026.