Indiana Launches Internship Initiative

A national survey of college students and hiring managers shows 80 percent of employers want new hires to have completed an internship, but only eight percent of students say they’ve invested time in those opportunities. The Commission for Higher Education launched an initiative Monday aimed at improving Indiana’s talent pipeline.

Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers says in the new campaign dubbed Career Ready Indiana, the Commission will act as a link between businesses, schools and students looking to establish or boost internship and so-called “work-and-learn experiences.”  Lubbers says ensuring more high school and college students get time in the workplace can help stem a growing problem.

“We know – and recent surveys show – that about 50 percent of college graduates would actually have a different degree if they were going back to college now,” Lubbers said.

Nick Hoagland is the COO of the Indianapolis logistics firm Backhaul Direct. His company has spent the last three years investing in an internship program and he says it helps the business as much as the student.

“We not only get to view their skills in action but we also get to immerse them in our culture, which is key to fitting the person with the business,” Hoagland said.

Lubbers says the state also helps financial aid students by giving companies money to provide paid internships.