Indiana INTERNnet, the stateâs leading work-based learning matching marketplace, was established in 2001. It was designed to connect Hoosier college students and employers at a time when many postsecondary graduates were leaving Indiana to start their careers. The goal? Stem the âbrain drainâ as more college students learned about and completed internships with Hoosier companies.
Fast forward 20 years. Over 11,000 students have secured internships via IndianaINTERN.net. Â But the robust economy that grew for more than a decade â before COVID-19 pushed the pause button â revealed that keeping college graduates in Indiana wasnât enough for employersâ insatiable demand for talent. Some are looking for students in earlier stages of their education to take on internships.
While a lot of high school students work while in school, theyâre behind fast food counters, babysitting or folding clothes in a department store. Though I learned the importance of a strong work ethic and punctuality by bussing tables in my grandparentsâ restaurants, for instance, I didnât acquire specific skills related to my future career. This isnât my grandparentsâ fault; I simply didnât have a chance to work in my field.
All the pieces are now coming together. Employers want to bring high school students into their workplaces to expose them to potential careers. Starting with the class of 2023, high school graduation requirements can be met by completing an internship or other work-based learning experience. In addition, the Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN Indiana) program will expand to high school internships in 2023, giving employers the opportunity to receive a 50% wage reimbursement when they provide high-quality experiences to low-income Hoosier students. And just as IndianaINTERN.net has become the go-to source for college internship searches, weâre building out our network to support your high school internship needs!
The high school portal has all the capabilities of IndianaINTERN.net, with additional identity protection for students under 18. It also has extra educator features to allow counselors and work-based learning coordinators to serve as a matchmaker between students and employers. This dynamic helps ensure that the former will be ready to meet the latterâs needs and that internships are the right fit for their students. Like all our core services, the assistance is free to students, employers and educators.
We look forward to expanding our offerings to support high school students in achieving their work-and-learn goals!
When do you anticipate the high school portal to be active? Is there a network of employers offering high school students internships now? Thank you!
Amy, our high school portal is actually active now! We had more than 700 high school students create accounts in 2020. We look forward to working with our employer network so that more will offer high school students internship opportunities. You can create an account as an educator and see what opportunities are currently posted. Let me know how I can assist.