The Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee is forming a Internship Opportunity Initiative to become more active in creating a pipeline of talented workers for businesses in Raleigh County and surrounding areas.

BRCCC Member schools, colleges and universities aim to collaborate with the Chamber on matching students with prospective internships. The idea was that the Chamber could use our position in the community to help colleges and universities find businesses that might have an interest in using their interns, beginning with Concord University as the pilot school.

Internship Opportunities Initiative launches efforts with Concord University to begin to develop a program that can be used by all member institutions:

Beginning with the Fall 2020 semester, Concord University and the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce will partner in an effort to help Concord students find placements for internship opportunities that are customized to the needs of employers affiliated with the Chamber.

These internships will be meaningful experiences where students learn the everyday language and operational procedures of the business or organization. Students will be paid during the experience by employers who will gain assistance in fulfilling their responsibilities to their customers while Concord students will be afforded the chance to showcase their education and skills. Students will also provide valuable services to those same customers while experiencing a real-world learning environment.

This initiative underscores Concord’s pledge to provide quality employment opportunities to its Graduates. It is another step in a series of directives aimed at ensuring students achieve career path success. Students and employers alike will benefit from the experience which will eventually spill over into the customer-service sector of the businesses affiliated with the Chamber.

The objective is guided by the mission of the Career Services office to carry out a campus-wide movement to stress the importance of securing a 4-year degree put forth to Concord faculty and staff by CU President, Dr. Kendra Boggess. Not only will students gain insight into different industries and how they work, they will learn how to navigate and overcome the obstacles associated with high-quality employment.

Link to the Internship Opportunities Portal web page here