North Dakota State College of Science has been awarded a two-year Career Ready Internship Grant of more than $150,000 from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates. NDSCS anticipates that more than 60 new paid internships will be created during the 2017-2018 academic year.

NDSCS is one of 16 two-year institutions across Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin that received a combined $2.1 million to create over 1,000 internships. NDSCS 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.

“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.”

“With this two-year Career Ready Internship grant, NDSCS will help more than 60 students pay for college while gaining hands-on experience through an internship, which can also provide them with additional potential for long-term employment after graduation,” said Lisa Wixo, NDSCS Director of Student Success & Career Services. “This grant will also allow employers to offer internships that they might not have been able to fund without the grant dollars.”

NDSCS will spend the spring and summer of 2017 on administrative planning, employer outreach and student recruitment, as well as placing up to four students in paid internships. The remaining internships will take place in the 2017-18 academic year. The Great Lakes grant period continues through May 2018.