Summer Internships for High School Students

Do you know of any high school students in Flagstaff who want a PAID summer internship? (Parents howabout your kids?)

This Summer, the Chamber is partnering with the Coconino County Career Center to offer internships to high school students up to 32 hours/week over the course of 8 weeks.

Several businesses have expressed interest in hiring interns

• Southwest Windpower
• Habitat for Humanity
• AZ Elite
• Little America
• Goodwill Industries

Now we need students!

To apply, students should download the application HERE, fill it out, and return it to the Chamber of Commerce either in person or via email to agavin@flagstaffchamber.com ASAP! Applications will be given to the pool of potential employers for them to choose from.

Need more information? Read this article by Carol Curtis, the director at the CCCC.

Businesses & Teens

With youth unemployment double the rate of adults, and the disturbing trend of 70% of our graduates leaving town, it is a crucial time to expand the Chamber’s workforce development efforts by adding an internship initiative. Thanks to a partnership between the Coconino County Career Center and the Chamber, funds will be available this summer to pay wages for summer internships with local Chamber members. “Skilling up” our local youth talent pipeline means employers will be able to increase their productivity, at no cost, just as the economy is improving and creating demand for new staff.

So, why a partnership between Chamber and the County Career Center? The Chamber’s “Skills for Success” initiative, now in its seventh year, has an excellent track record of bringing youth and teachers together with local employers to identify career options and educational paths for youth to consider for local employment. The Career Center is funding the next logical step: paying for internships with local employers so teens can apply skills learned in the classroom to a real work environment.

How does it work? The Chamber will seek high school students for these opportunities and have them complete a form indicating the type of work they want to pursue this summer. From these applicants, a candidate pool will be developed and provided to employers. The employers will interview the students and identify the best candidate for their company. The Career Center will then set up the Internship with the student, and sign them up for County payroll, to work for up to two months at the business. All students will be paid $7.65 per hour.

But wait, there’s more…Students that are hired to work in these summer Internships will also be able to earn high school credits at a summer school offered by the Career Center. The Career Center has a Certified teacher, and uses the computer system called Novanet, to offer over 10,000 different high school classes. Students can catch up on credits, or get ahead during their internships. Summer school is offered at no cost to participants in the Chamber internship programs.

So what are you waiting for? Call the Flagstaff Chamber at 928.774.4505 to get connected.

Carol Curtis

Director

Coconino County Career Center