By Morgan Montalvo
WOAI News
In today’s increasingly competitive economy, internships are an important way for students to experience their chosen career path, while offering employers a way to identify, and potentially hire, talent, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
This year, some 900 local middle school, high school and college students earned and learned by spending a summer under the guidance of area corporations and businesses – a record number, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Last night, a banquet at the Freeman Coliseum Complex recognized interns and their hosts, with special honors for the summer’s top trainees.
Christina Duarte, who manages education programs for CPS Energy, says her company hosts interns in a number of areas, notably information technology, logistics and field operations.
“You know, college isn’t for everybody; so, these types of careers for those students who aren’t going to go to college, they need to know about being a journeyman lineman or a mechanic or something like that,” Duarte says.
For East Central High School junior Christopher Jones, a summer learning structural remodeling dovetails into his goal of operating a custom vehicle showroom.
“I want to own my own classic auto shop,” Jones tells News Radio 1200 WOAI, “so if I have to stuff like that, then this is going to be a basic start”
Jones says he’s looking forward to a second summer on the job site to refine his construction skills.
“It’s still some stuff we didn’t learn at the job we were at, and there was more to learn,” he says.
The paid summer internships are organized by SA Works, the City of San Antonio’s Department of Human Services Ambassador Program and Family Service Association. About 200 area companies and businesses now host and pay school-age interns.