Students Experience Real-World Learning Through Summer Internship

The WV Ready Summer Internship Program is a four-week, paid internship program created by The Education Alliance that places rising high school juniors and seniors with West Virginia businesses. In this pilot year, 10 interns were placed at Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV, Appalachian Power, and Cabell Huntington Hospital. During today’s observation, the interns showcased not only technical skills needed in manufacturing, but also practical life skills like teamwork, professionalism, and work ethic that they learned during their internship. The interns reported the hands-on learning experience provided by Toyota proved to be a pivotal step toward their future careers.

“We are thrilled that Senator Capito is at Toyota today to visit one of our internship sites. We are so pleased to highlight the tremendous growth and success of participating high school interns,” said Dr. Amelia Courts, president and chief executive officer of The Education Alliance. “The Education Alliance is excited to offer these real-world learning opportunities to West Virginia students. By creating a pathway of career readiness for West Virginia students, the WV Ready Internship Program is truly a life-changing experience. I want to thank Toyota, Appalachian Power, and Cabell Huntington Hospital for hosting interns this summer and look forward to expanding to additional businesses next year.”

At the end of the internship, each intern gave a final presentation to their business’ leadership team, which outlined their experience, highlighted their personal growth, and mapped out their future career goals. Additionally, upon completion of the internship, the students were eligible for three hours of college credit from Mountwest Community and Technical College. The program is anticipated to be expanded in coming years to serve more of the state’s soon-to-be graduates, with the eventual goal being to expand statewide. To learn more about the program, visit www.wvgraduate.com.