Indian Hills Awarded Internship Grant

OTTUMWA — Indian Hills Community College has been awarded a two-year, $103,248 Career Ready Internship Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates. With the grant, an anticipated 46 new paid internships will be created during the 2017-2018 academic year.

“Paid internships benefit students, colleges and employers,” said Richard D. George, Great Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer. “Students gain meaningful workplace skills and are more likely to earn degrees and use their internship experiences to help secure good jobs upon graduation. Colleges will see increased completion and job placement rates, and employers gain a pipeline to fresh talent. It’s a win-win-win.”

Indian Hills Community College is one of 16 two-year institutions across Iowa, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin that received a combined $2.1 million to create over 1,000 internships for low income students. Indian Hills will collaborate with businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide the greatest number of current and future students with an educational opportunity they might not otherwise have.

“With this two-year Career Ready Internship grant, Indian Hills Community College can provide students the opportunity to intern with local businesses to gain the practical hands-on experience that is valuable to their learning experience,” said A.J. Gevock, Director of Outreach Activities/Midwest Photonics Education Center. “In addition, employers gain access to talented candidates for new internships, and the potential for full time employment. This is a great opportunity for employers to train and educate future workers for their field.

Indian Hills Community College will spend the winter of 2017 on administrative planning, employer outreach and student recruitment, and will begin placing students in paid internships in April 2017. The Great Lakes grant period continues through May 2018.