Allison Hatch
Nebraska Department of Economic Development, allison.hatch@nebraska.gov or 402.471.3368
Nine students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney were among the first to participate in the Intern Nebraska Program which began last June.
Among the nine were Matthew Voichahoske of Fullerton, a senior who did an internship in human resources; Carrie Calloway, a senior from Grand Island who did an internship in marketing; and Katelin Hall of Shelton, a senior who also interned in marking.
To be eligible, students have to be enrolled full-time, be a resident of Nebraska and have achieved junior or senior standing. Nebraska students attending a four-year college or university outside of Nebraska are also eligible. Further, students can telecommute if the company is 30 miles or more from the college he or she attends.
The Unicameral can allocate up to $1.5 million for statewide internships each year. The program provides financial assistance to businesses and non-profits willing to support paid internships. The state then reimburses the employer. Companies are eligible for aid up to 40 percent of the internship costs and up to $3,500 per internship.
Further, the company must pay at least minimum wage, and the internship can last from 12 weeks to a year. The company may apply for funding for up to 10 interns per year, with a maximum of five interns per company location, per year. Eligible businesses are primarily in manufacturing, research and development, distribution, transportation, storage and warehousing, data processing, telecommunications, insurance and financial services and administration.
Fifty-percent of the students who complete internships become full-time employees at the same company they interned for. More information about the program is available at: internne.com.
