{"id":14236,"date":"2016-09-07T21:22:35","date_gmt":"2016-09-08T01:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mcreativepr.com\/?p=14236"},"modified":"2016-09-07T21:22:35","modified_gmt":"2016-09-08T01:22:35","slug":"14236","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcreativepr.com\/2016\/09\/07\/14236\/","title":{"rendered":"Collier schools\u2019 internship program provides on-the-job training for 16 high-school seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FutureMakers<\/a><\/p>\n

NAPLES, Fla.\u00a0\u00a0(Sept. 7, 2016) \u2013 While many of their peers enjoyed a more leisurely summer break, 16 incoming Collier County high-school seniors designed a trophy case, waded along the coast to survey beach erosion and worked toward earning their pilot\u2019s licenses.<\/p>\n

As participants in the school district\u2019s internship program, the students earned a paycheck and hands-on experience in potential careers.<\/p>\n

A $24,150 grant from the FutureMakers Coalition<\/a> through the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation allowed Collier County Public Schools to expand the internship program from its inaugural five students in 2015 and ensure every student was paid for the minimum 120 required hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the struggles we face throughout the region is the heavy concentration of small businesses that are willing to offer internships but can\u2019t pay the students,\u201d said Courtney Stahlman, who as the manager for the school district\u2019s High School Career Academies also oversees its internship program. \u201cThe Schulze Foundation and FutureMakers are invested in developing Southwest Florida\u2019s workforce, and this grant gave more students the opportunity to work at local companies. The sooner we can give students job experience, the better. We\u2019re developing these future workers with the goal of keeping them here in Southwest Florida for careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participating companies included Thomas Riley Artisans Guild, Coastal Engineering Consultants, Structural Medical, the communications department of Collier County Public Schools, Arthrex, Trebilcock Consulting and Career Flight Training, and Aircraft Rental at the Naples Airport.<\/p>\n

Eleven students were paid directly by the companies; the remaining five were covered by the grant.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost government entities, medical facilities and nonprofit organizations are unable to pay their interns,\u201d added Stahlman. \u201cThis is where the grant came in handy. For many students, this was the first paycheck they\u2019ve ever received.\u201d<\/p>\n

The internship program is a spinoff of the school district\u2019s affiliation with the National Academic Foundation, which introduced five career-specific academies at various high schools four years ago. The academies allow students to explore engineering, information technology, hospitality, health sciences and finance careers while teaching them the fundamentals of securing a job.<\/p>\n

The mission of the NAF, an educational nonprofit organization, is to solve challenges facing education and the economy by bringing education, business and community leaders together to transform the high-school experience.<\/p>\n

Many of the Collier County companies offering internships were recommended by local NAF advisory board members and through word of mouth with some offering several summer positions for two or three students to work together.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the last year, the FutureMakers Coalition has identified early career exposure as one of the most effective strategies we can enhance, expand and replicate throughout the region to help students identify their passion and align their education to meet career goals,\u201d said Tessa LeSage, director of social innovation and sustainability for the Southwest Florida Community Foundation which is serving as the anchor organization for the FutureMakers Coalition. \u201cWe\u2019ve also discovered these experiences are better suited for students when it\u2019s an opportunity outside of school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the Community Foundation, the Schulze Family Foundation earmarked $300,000 to fund projects emerging from FutureMakers\u2019 work throughout the region.<\/p>\n

The Artisans Guild, an upscale interior woodwork and finishes shop, hired two student interns, immersing them in the engineering and design skills they\u2019re also learning in the district\u2019s engineering academy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey designed projects that will ultimately be built,\u201d said Danielle Poff, community liaison for the guild which also hired a summer intern in 2015. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than creating something and seeing it built. Each student prepared design drawings then swapped projects. They learn to create their own design and read someone else\u2019s drawings. We give our interns a broad overview. We know they\u2019ve done a lot of work on computers, so we want to get them in the shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coastal Engineering\u2019s intern worked out in the field with the company\u2019s land and water survey crews monitoring erosion trends, shoreline changes, tidal shoals and analyzing the results using the company\u2019s proprietary computer programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause so much of our work is in the water, one of our first interview questions is asking a potential intern if he or she is comfortable in the water and on a boat,\u201d said Michael Poff, vice president of engineering. \u201cWe also look for maturity level, and because of the academy, it\u2019s already there. Good communications skills and being able to think and solve problems are also important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coastal Engineering was able to retain its intern longer than the 120 hours to cover employee vacations.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies realize our students are not the typical high-school students,\u201d Stahlman said. \u201cThey\u2019re prepared to work and want to do it to improve their qualifications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three interns from the IT Academy worked for the school district in digital design and video production, and a non-themed program allowed aviation students at Lely High School to work on planes, work in the control tower and clock flying time toward a private pilot license at Naples Airport.<\/p>\n

Danielle and Michael Poff, who are married, said both of their companies have a history of hiring high-school and college interns, and have involvement in education. Thomas Riley of the Artisans Guild helped establish the woodworking program at Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples. Coastal Engineering also offers an externship for teachers; the Education Foundation of Collier County pays half of the salary for participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe school district\u2019s internship program is fantastic,\u201d Michael Poff said. \u201cWe need more companies offering internships and business leaders in Collier to step up. There are hundreds of students who would benefit from an internship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe enjoy having students,\u201d said Danielle Poff. \u201cIt\u2019s part of our philosophy of giving back to the community and helping to educate our future workforce. The academies are a great opportunity for students to take a broad range of classes and decide which field of engineering they like or if it\u2019s something they really want to do before they commit to four to six years of college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students enrolled in Collier County\u2019s NAF academies have the opportunity to earn industry recognized certifications in Adobe and Microsoft programs, AutoCAD, Autodesk and animation. Increasing certifications is part of the FutureMakers Coalition\u2019s goal of transforming Southwest Florida\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe internships provide a really good experience,\u201d said Adam Peterson, the teacher of record who worked with the students and businesses during the summer. \u201cThey\u2019re definitely learning different things than they do in the classroom. All of the students I interviewed were glad they took time out of their summer break to participate, and the employers enjoyed having the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

According the Stahlman, the remaining grant funding will provide internships during the school year for five to 10 students.<\/p>\n

LeSage said the Collier program could become a model for other school districts in Southwest Florida and help entice students to seek employment in the region upon completion of post-secondary education.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving students this experience impacts the perception and employability of our future workforce,\u201d she addded. \u201cIt makes them more valuable as future employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder Dick Schulze, a Southwest Florida resident. It supports education, human services, health and medical research, and transformational entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

Formed in 2015 around existing regional collaborations, the FutureMakers Coalition has a goal to increase the number of college degrees, post-secondary certifications and high-quality credentials from 27 to 40 percent by 2025 throughout Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. The Coalition is committed to creating a cradle-to-career pathway to ensure success for traditional students and adult learners.<\/p>\n

The FutureMakers Coalition is one of Lumina Foundation\u2019s 75 national Community Partners in Attainment. Residents are encouraged to join and support this community-changing initiative. For more information, visit\u00a0www.FutureMakersCoalition.com<\/a>, call 239-274-5900 or email Tessa LeSage at\u00a0TLeSage@floridacommunity.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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