PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Internship Hub of Aroostook, operated by Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, wants to find summer work experiences for local students.
Jordyn Madore, AAI’s intern and scholar coordinator, said it’s important for students to have a wide range of experiences to choose from when seeking an internship opportunity.
“When speaking with students in our area, they believe that there are no job opportunities for them here and they will have to move south in order to have a career,” Madore said. “Internships are a great way to expose students to a wide variety of career opportunities available to them here in The County. They can test out the skills they’ve learned in school and get a feel for what specific career path is right for them.”
The Internship Hub of Aroostook is a program designed by AAI to connect students to employers in Aroostook County by providing hands-on learning experiences, exposing the future workforce to the career paths available to them in this area. The Hub acts as a bridge between education and industry by connecting participating County employers with college students through internship opportunities.
The offers two different types of employer memberships. The standard option offers businesses one intern, access to intern resumes and a listing on The Internship Hub of Aroostook marketing materials. The advanced membership includes all the benefits above; however, instead of simply placing an intern within the business or organization, the Hub builds the entire internship experience for the employer. Madore works with the employer to create the internship description and oversees the intern in their placement, evaluates the intern and can administer stipends for the intern.
“The internship experience is just as important for our local employers. Internship Hub of Aroostook members are able to showcase their business or organization and can use this opportunity as a way to identify potential future employees,” said Madore.
Bethany Zell, who is the program director for Cary Medical Center’s Healthy You and Pink Aroostook, says having an intern was beneficial to her and her team.
“We were thrilled with our collaboration with The Internship Hub of Aroostook last summer. My intern, Amelia Guimond, was invaluable to me and it was hard going back to life without her on my team when she returned to school at Thomas College in the fall,” said Zell.
“I am excited to see what interns are available this summer, and I am confident that Jordyn and the staff at the Internship Hub of Aroostook will match me up with the right person to help me manage all of the hats that I wear at Cary Medical Center.”
The Hub works to create connections for local students and aims to help reverse the outward migration of The County’s young people. Kristen Wells, AAI’s executive director, said establishing these connections is vital to keeping youth motivated to live and work in Aroostook County.
“We as employers need to become more competitive with state-wide competition for workers with the skills we need. Our advantage can be snatching up students for a great internship experience within our work environment so they think of us first when they’re ready to apply for a job,” said Wells.
“Ultimately, no matter where they’re from, we want them here to work and live. Internships are one way to encourage students to consider all we have to offer in Aroostook County,” she said.
For more information on becoming a participating employer, visit gauvinfund.org or opportunitiesaroostook.com, follow them on Facebook or send an email to jordyn@gauvinfund.org.
