|
County
Legislator
Roefaro,
County
Executive
Picente
Announce New Funding for Summer Internships
Oneida
County
College
Student Corps Recruiting Now
Oneida County Legislator Stephen Roefaro, joined by Oneida County
Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., and community officials, today
announced that additional funding he has secured will allow the
Oneida County College Student Corps to expand the number of
internships it offers this summer.
Speaking at the
North
Utica
Senior
Center
, which has hosted interns for several years and provided then with
outstanding work experience, Roefaro said the increased funding will
particularly help community agencies provide students with vital
work experience while also allowing them to meet the increased needs
of the community.
“Internships help our young
people get a look at the opportunities we have in our region,
develop their skills, and make valuable community connections,”
Roefaro said. “I became aware that the requests we were receiving
for our College Corps program were on the increase, and I wanted to
secure additional funds so that we can help provide internships for
our outstanding young people. I want to thank Board of Legislators
Chairman Gerald Fiorini, who was one of the creators of the College
Corps when it began in 1998, and County Executive Picente for their
support of my initiative.”
The Oneida County College Student Corps is
a unique public-private partnership. Under the program,
Oneida
County
splits the cost of a 200-hour internship with an employer. Employers
pay about $800 for their half of the cost of an intern. Interns are
paid $8 per hour. The
Oneida County Office of Workforce Development screens applicants and
matches them to an employer’s needs.
To be eligible, students must be
Oneida
County
residents. The program targets college juniors and seniors. The
College Student Corps places students at employers located within
Oneida
County
.
Pre-applications
for employers and interns are posted on line on the
Oneida
County
web site, http://www.ocgov.net/oneidacty/gov/dept/workforcedev/wfindex.htm.
Students or employers with questions should contact Program
Coordinator Charlene Deon at 798-5293 or e-mail her at internships@ocgov.net
County
Executive
Picente said, “
Oneida
County
was a leader in developing effective internship programs, and we are
very happy to work with community partners to help grow the future
workforce of our region using internships as one part of a long-term
strategy for economic and community growth.”
“The Community Foundation is delighted to
see the multitude of ways that the effort to develop internships is
being implemented by our partners across the region,” said Peggy
O’Shea, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Herkimer
and Oneida Counties, Inc., which is partnering with Oneida County,
Workforce Investment Board, Mohawk Valley EDGE and others to
coordinate local internships as part of their efforts with the Give
Back to Utica Fund started by Utica native Steve Oram. “County
funding for internships sends a clear message that local intern
opportunities are a community priority. The county’s actions will
further help the collaborative effort of all the community
organizations seeking to work in partnership to achieve our common
goal – retaining and attracting young people to live and work in
Oneida
County
.”
Mohawk Valley Community College President
Randall Van Wagoner said, “Internships are an extremely valuable
component of learning. Internships provide the best way for students
to apply skills learned in the classroom to real world situations.
The College Corps Program is a wonderful investment in the future.
For MVCC second-year seniors, it has tremendous potential to help
students connect with employers because internships can lead to
year-round work and then a job after graduation. This program can
help them start making those connections.”
Ray Durso, Executive Director of The
Genesis Group, said, “Any time you bring enthusiastic, energetic
young people into the workplace, it helps everyone. Employers get
the services of a bright, young intern who wants to undertake
challenging projects; interns gain experience and learn about the
career field they want to enter while they learn about local
opportunities in their field.”
Yvonne McClusky, Executive Director of the
North
Utica
Senior
Center
, said, “We have hosted interns for several years and we always
come away wonderfully impressed with their outstanding energy and
attitude. They learn a lot about our community through the
inter-generational and community programs we offer. They also learn
about giving back to the community, and the potential there is
change lives for the better here in their home town.” |
