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Nina Pande[/caption]
There has never been a better time for employers to recruit and develop a broader, more diverse talent pool than now. The new reality of remote work and the accelerated pace of digital transformation across industries has made it easier for businesses of all sizes to engage with the millions of high school and college students looking to explore future work opportunities. Rhode Island’s business community should take advantage of this unique time in our history by opening the doors to the youth workforce through high school internships, including virtual internships.
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Julie Lammers[/caption]
Internships provide students the type of real-world experience needed to develop insights into careers and critical skills for successfully navigating the workplace. And Rhode Island’s high school students are deeply interested in these opportunities.
When the pandemic accelerated in the U.S. last year, many summer internships were no longer offered to high school students. Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, the statewide workforce intermediary that runs the PrepareRI high school internship program through support from the Governor’s Workforce Board, shifted internship programs to present a virtual “COVID Innovation Challenge” to nearly 500 students who wanted to gain experience. Despite the challenges of virtual learning, the students excelled and highlighted an important workforce trait – adaptability.
Participating employers identified challenges they faced because of the pandemic and asked students to develop solutions that could mitigate the fallout, such as pivoting to remote work, reopening hospitals to visitation and helping the medical community detect COVID-19 symptoms. Students then presented their solutions during a competition. The proposals were impressive, but the practical results for our students and future workforce were even better.
Nearly 90% of students reported gaining skills such as leadership, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. More than half of employers said the program was valuable in preparing their business’s or industry’s future pipeline of workers.
What we learned about Rhode Island students and employers can be carried into planning internships next summer and beyond:
Building in support systems for students is critical to their success. Students from different backgrounds have different needs. Consider access to technology, language barriers, transportation and other challenges to ensure participants can succeed in these critical opportunities. At least 50% of SkillsRI’s participating students come from high-poverty communities or under-resourced schools, many with no reliable broadband internet access or device access. This was an obstacle that taught us a powerful lesson on ensuring equity in access.
Mentors are critical. Whether internships are in person or virtual, high school students need designated, trained mentors who can guide them and teach them to navigate the workplace. We’ve partnered with Mentor Rhode Island to provide technical support, office hours and professional development to our coaches and teach students about the importance of effective mentoring.
Virtual internships can be meaningful. Students are already gravitating toward greater use of technology. We heard from students loud and clear that they wanted to be held accountable to the same expectations as adult workers who had shifted to remote work. With funding from American Student Assistance, SkillsRI will be able to continue offering students work-based learning opportunities throughout the school year, both in person and virtually.
In addition, SkillsRI recently launched the Work-based Learning Navigator, an online platform to better connect educators to year-round, work-based learning resources for students. The navigator asks questions about capacity, resources, time, quality and educational standards and serves as a matchmaker for educators and employers to post and find opportunities.
If Rhode Island’s employers and educators can commit to internship opportunities for high schoolers, whether in-person or virtual experiences, we can work toward equity, accessibility and economic mobility for every student across the state. There’s no better victory to strengthen our education system, meet families where they are and make sure students are prepared for the next steps in their education, career and life.
Nina Pande is executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, a nonprofit matching businesses with qualified, unemployed and underemployed job seekers. Julie Lammers is the senior vice president of government relations and advocacy at American Student Assistance, a national nonprofit committed to helping students discover educational and career opportunities.
