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| Opportunity Internship recipient Reese Holland (center) |
How can we match up businesses needing skilled workers
with students who want those skills – and those jobs?
Opportunity Internships is one solution that's
working. Meet Reese Holland, a student in Rep. Tim Probst’s community.
Reese is pursuing a career in engineering, and instead of
simply taking math and science classes in high school, he got hands-on training
and experience at the local Frito Lay plant. Interns like Reese check the
settings of dozens of machines and programs at the plant, which is constantly
trying to do things more efficiently. They track waste in the tenth of a
percentage range.
Opportunity Internships are a creative way to match
students up with good careers and to boost our state’s economy. Many skilled
jobs get filled by people from out of state because our high schools and
colleges don’t produce enough graduates in those fields.
So it makes sense to emphasize STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) in our high schools and colleges, because our students
should be getting those skills – and those good jobs.
The idea behind Opportunity Internships is simple: match
up interested students with the right businesses and make sure they get the
skills -- and on-the-job experience -- they need. The business gets a highly
skilled employee that they already know is a good worker. The student gets a
career with a future. And our state economy gets a boost. Great idea,
huh?
As students like Reese can tell you, the idea is working.
Read more here.
