PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Weaver, Melony Ritter
(501) 760.6410 office
press@np.edu
December 6, 2016
NPC AWARDED $174K INTERNSHIP GRANT
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) has been awarded a two-year, $174,816 Career Ready Internship Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates. An anticipated 84 new paid internships will be created during the 2017-2018 academic year. The goal of the program is to help students gain career related skills and connections while working toward their degree. Participating students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) and demonstrate financial need.
“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.”
NPC 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. The College 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.
Mary Kay Wurm, NPC Career Center Director said many local businesses are already onboard and excited about the opportunities the grant will bring to the community. Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, United Way, West Shores Senior Living, Mid-America Science Museum, Ouachita Children’s Center, Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness, Hot Springs YMCA, SBI Metal Buildings and Components, All Creatures Animal Hospital, and Chick-fil-A have all agreed to be grant partners. Wurm says many more will be needed to fill 84 student internship positions over the next year.
“The Career Ready Internship program provides invaluable staff support to nonprofit organizations. We always need additional resources, and having access to bright, committed students who show initiative allows us to expand our services. We can undertake new projects and achieve greater efficiencies in our day to day work. ‘In turn,’ interning with a nonprofit gives students exposure to a gratifying career path, and plenty of networking opportunities within the social services community,” said Jane Browning, Executive Director of the United Way of Garland County.
Caroline Finney, Marketing and Development Coordinator for Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness (Formerly Community Counseling Services) said, “For our team, having extra hands means helping extra people. We look forward to partnering with National Park to give their interns great experience while gaining team members to make our work in the community even more effective. We are excited to be a part of the Career Ready Internship Grant program through National Park College.”
“Oaklawn is very pleased to be working with National Park College to provide these internships,” Director of Human Resources Kelli Mussa said. “We have a very diversified workforce with positions ranging from entry level to management and it’s always a benefit to showcase our business to people just starting out or looking to further their careers. We pride ourselves on being one of the largest employers in Hot Springs and helping our community by providing a wide array of jobs.”
NPC will spend the spring semester of 2017 on administrative planning, employer outreach and student recruitment, and will begin placing students in paid internships in January 2017. Informational meetings will be held for students and staff December 9 and 16 at 10 a.m. in the Career Center. Additional meetings will be scheduled in January. The Great Lakes grant period continues through May 2018.
About Great Lakes: Dedicated to making college education a reality since 1967.
Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, we have been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers- as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. Our group's earnings support one of the largest and most respected educational philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, we have committed over $172 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.
