Students participating in UNM-LA’s Community Internship Collaboration (CIC) program this semester celebrate their graduation Wednesday. Here, the interns are joined by mentors who participated in the program including Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann, front row at right, and CIC Coordinator Brittany Carpenter, front row at left. Courtesy/UNM-LA
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Entering the workforce can feel daunting, even armed with a college degree or a certificate in a specific trade. How does one compete with other applicants or get experience that employers may require?
It’s not just newbies to the workforce that may feel overwhelmed; employers might also be scratching their heads; wondering how to attract people to apply for positions.
The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) offers a solution that is a win-win for both parties: the Community Internship Collaboration program. The program started in 2015; it was originally funded by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Thus far 133 students have graduated from the program. The newest crop of participants graduated from the program Wednesday. There were nine interns in the most recent iteration of the program.
“It started as a way not only to help fill an employment gap but also give students experience in different jobs,” Internship Coordinator Brittany Carpenter said.
Carpenter explained the program is a collaboration between UNM-LA, Los Alamos High School, the Regional Development Corporation and the Small Business Development Center. It is funded by a Title V grant through the Pathways to Academic Success. Carpenter added that interns are given a $900 stipend in exchange for working 60 hours during a semester. They also earn course credit in professional development.
She said participating businesses are asked to mentor interns and give them a project to focus on during the semester.
Projects have ranged from website development to bookkeeping.
“We don’t limit the business in what kind of project they create for the students,” Carpenter said.
Some mentors have gotten creative; for instance, Carpenter said Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) had an intern focus on animal enrichment and care for animals that are in captivity at PEEC, which include snakes, lizards and fish. The intern developed a handbook for how to best care for these animals.
“This is really a great way to get their foot in the door,” she said. “They can try it and see what they think and get that professional development.”
“We want them to come out of the class feeling competent in professional settings and taking their course work into real world applications,” Carpenter said.
It is not just the interns that benefit but the businesses, too. Carpenter said typically more businesses than students sign up for the program and many participating employers have found permanent employees through the intern program.
She pointed out that an intern at Zia Credit Union is now a part-time employee at the credit union and Hartway and Breshears CPA have made a past intern an employee.
To get involved in the program, students and businesses both apply to the program. Carpenter said a meet-and-greet is held, students rank their top three and Carpenter matches them up.
“We want it to be a positive experience for both the student and the business,” she said.
Both interns and employers spoke highly of the program.
“I think it gives me a basic understanding of the field and that sparked my interest in learning more about specific parts of the field,” UNM-LA student James Bourguet said.
Bourguet is an intern at Attack Research.
Likewise, employers compliment program, too. Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce Director Ryn Herrmann said the chamber has in its third time taking part in the internship.
She explained why she feels this program is a win-win for both parties.
“Having an internship is a great real-world experience for students to have,” Herrmann said. “They not only apply and interview, but they learn what having a job is like. The responsibility of showing up, communicating, submitting time sheets, taking on a project that makes a difference to the business, and of course getting paid for it, is a true learning experience for any student. And of course an internship looks great on college applications and resumes! For the businesses, it is not just 60 hours of free labor, but a chance to be a mentor to a student and to engage with them on a project that helps their business.”
Furthermore, Herrmann said, “Our current intern, Christal, has been great to work with. She has many interests and seems to be great at everything she takes on. We have had her working on a data project that she is able to do on her own time, as her schedule allows. She was also instrumental in planning and executing the Los Alamos Job Fair in October, as well as assisting with Halloweekend and Small Business Saturday. She’s been a pleasure to work with and we are excited to see what she decides to focus on in the future. Whatever it is, we know she will be successful!”
Herrmann encourages other organizations and businesses to take part in the program.
“The Community Internship Collaboration is a great program in Los Alamos that helps not just the students but the business owners as well,” she said. “It takes a time commitment to have an intern, but it has always been a great experience for me.”
To apply for the program, contact Carpenter at 505.661.4682 or visit https://losalamos.unm.edu/cic The deadline for businesses for the spring semester is Jan. 10 and the deadline for students for next semester is Jan. 31.
