Photo: High school students in Tallahassee are learning the basics of health care as part of a new summer internship program.
High school students in Leon County are now benefitting from a new internship program thanks to a partnership between ASPIRE Capital Region stakeholders, the Tallahassee Talent Development Council, and the Children’s Services Council of Leon County (CSC). Now, 42 students are working in paid internships and getting hands-on work experience in local industries with support from multiple organization.
“Results to date are amazing. According to our employers, students are engaged and working hard to learn new skills,” said Corrie Melton, co-founder of ASPIRE Capital Region and vice president of Membership & Talent Development at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. “Four students have already been offered post-internship employment and a mother reached out saying, My son comes to the dinner table wanting to talk about his future!”
Photo: Community leaders and students attend a pre-employment training session.
ASPIRE Capital Region and other community partners provided twenty-four hours of pre-employment student training while The Talent Development Council recruited and prepared over thirty businesses to host students. Summer internship students are employed by the CSC Leon and paid $14-15 per hour for up to twenty-two hours a week for six-eight weeks through the summer.
Photo: Screenshot of the Worlds of Work Career Expo 2023
recap video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p485N2qAU4w
The program is inspired by the North Florida Worlds of Work Career Expo, a first-of-its-kind event launched last fall by the Talent Development Council and a coalition of community partners focused on designing a workforce development ecosystem, developing a pipeline of highly skilled talent, and promoting access to training and employment opportunities.
The expo connected employers with students, teachers, and parents and encouraged them to explore career opportunities in local in-demand, high-wage career options. During the two-day expo, over 2,500 students from Leon and surrounding counties were able to immerse themselves in eighteen industries ranging from construction and education to engineering, healthcare and beyond. Since then, additional stakeholders have reached out to the organizers to expand the reach of Worlds of Work which is planned for Oct. 24 & 25, 2024.
The Florida College Access Network seeks to elevate student experiences and success stories from across our state to inspire action, and to inform policy and practice. We envision a Florida working together to increase the percentage of residents who hold a high-value postsecondary degree or credential to 60% by the year 2030. Florida currently stands at 54.5%.