| There are over 12,000 collegiate students on the Kitsap Peninsula, some of whom will need an internship to graduate. Internships are temporary job positions where students gain practical experience in their specific field of study. Although a degree acknowledges a student’s knowledge of a subject, it is experience that many businesses seek. “Internships provide a chance to practice skills to learn about the workplace culture,” says Teresa McDermott, director for work-integrated learning and worker retraining at Olympic College (OC).
“I believe internships are a crucial component of a student’s overall career plan as they transition from school to work,” explains McDermott.
Internships are a requirement in some of the 20 professional and technical programs at OC and a recommended elective for others. Their career center helps guide and prepare students for these internship opportunities through assistance with resume writing, interviewing techniques and labor market research. One of OC’s internship partnerships, for the past nine years, is the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax-Aide program which trains students on tax preparation. Students participated in three days of intense training and take a written exam that they must pass. Upon completion of the training students provide free income tax assistance to the community from February 1 through April 15 at OC.
Placement Representative, Matt Reilly, of Northwest College of Art (NCA) also understands the significance of internships. “I think it’s crucial…the importance of showing up on time, making a commitment and a difference,” he stated. There are few businesses in the area that cater to art students, most from NCA prefer internships from Seattle and other areas. Reilly says, “Encouraging more businesses to set up at home base,” will help benefit the students and the business. “More businesses more students,” he continued to say. Camille Davis, a senior at NCA, who is currently active in an internship in Ballard, Wash. says, “More progress in the art scene,” will also help in attracting more art students.
For more assistance, other than internships, NCA also offers its placement assistance services which helps graduates, up to two years after receiving their degree, with the assistance of job placement. The program offers portfolio preparation, presentation techniques and business practices. In addition, the program also provides individual advising, resume preparation and business card and promotional materials all followed by a senior exhibition.
So what businesses on the Kitsap Peninsula have internship programs? Jan Koske, volunteer coordinator of Kitsap County, accepts approximately 25 to 30 interns a year from colleges all over Wash., and occasionally out of state. Interns are active in more than five of the county’s departments. Koske says internships are, “Highly important in today’s job market…some kind of experience is needed.” “I encourage any college student no matter the field to volunteer long enough to get the experience,” she continued.
Throughout the Kitsap Peninsula businesses are operating with help from possible future employees. Some of the businesses included are, Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (BKAT), Martha & Mary Health Center, Naval Avenue Elementary, Peninsula Community Health Services, YWCA of Kitsap County, Kitsap Credit Union and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS).
Internships, paid and unpaid, are not only beneficial to the student but also the business by helping to meet the pressures of hiring demands without a long-term employment commitment, which frees professional staff for more creative and high-level tasks. They are also used to fill up spots, as Koske explains, “It gives us opportunity to fill in fields where we have trouble recruiting.”
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