Delta College is launching an initiative that will subsidize 1,000 internships for Delta students entering the workforce. The program aims to match students with employers for 12 week internships in a variety of fields.
The program has $4 million available to pay student’s wages and cover liability, according to a press release on Delta’s website. The program’s goal is to prepare students “for a diverse range of careers.” Half of the money is being provided by Delta College. The other half comes from San Joaquin County.
Michelle Castanon, manager of the Workforce Development Center, explained some of the details of this program, including how potential employers are being made aware of the internship program.
“Delta College is using multiple sources to promote and market the 1,000 internships initiative… publicity has included media press release, social media posts, postcard mailers, electronic e-mailers, and upcoming informational webinars.”
Employers and students alike will have to create accounts with the jobs posting site jobspeaker.com, according to a Delta press release.
The program is designed to provide job experience to students, but employers are the ones who would have to provide that experience, so what incentive do they have to hire inexperienced students?
“Presently, there is a large number of open middle skilled positions that need to be filled… especially as many employers will be seeing their current workforce retiring,” said Castanon. The student’s wages are also paid by the school.
The $2 million from Delta was sourced from CARES Act money, while the county Board of Supervisors agreed to match $2 million incrementally “based upon the number of students being successfully matched in internships opportunities to local employers beginning with 250, 500, 750, and 1000, as well as other metrics,” according to Castanon.
County board documents from April 20 approving the funding do not give details as to what those metrics are, simply stating that the money will be provided based on “measurable metrics.”
For more information, visit deltacollege.edu/1000-internships-initiative.