New Mexico HED and DWS Unveil "Students Work" Internship Portal
For Immediate Release
December 1, 2016
Contact: Joy Forehand
Office: 505.841.8450
Media Inquiries: 505.250.3926
New Mexico HED and DWS Unveil “Students Work” Internship Portal
New Portal Connects College Students with more Work Experience while still in School
Albuquerque, NM — Today, the New Mexico Workforce Solutions and Higher Education Departments unveiled the new “Students Work” internship portal that connects New Mexico’s college students with New Mexico employers to gain professional work experience while still enrolled in school.
“Internships are an important tool for preparing our college students to join the workforce after they graduate,” Governor Susana Martinez said. “By bringing higher education and our business community together to establish this internship portal, we’ll help more students get more of the skills they need to succeed while still in college – in turn helping our employers better fill the positions they need in today’s dynamic workforce.”
Proposed last year by Governor Martinez, the “Students Work” portal was built by Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) students as part of a collaborative effort between the Workforce Solutions and Higher Education Departments. The portal allows college students to browse a wide range of internship opportunities, and at the same time employers can browse the field of candidates. The “Students Work” portal is available online here. Use is free and available to all New Mexico college students.
“Internships are great ways to better prepare students to succeed – they can provide critical skills and experience that will be useful in the workforce, while also equipping our students for more advanced higher education,” said Higher Education Department Cabinet Secretary Barbara Damron. “I’m grateful for the partnership of our higher education institutions, our students, and our business community for coming together to help make this valuable tool a reality.”
The “Students Work” internship portal is one of several initiatives proposed by Governor Martinez designed to improve the degree to which our education system meets the needs of our state's workforce, including the expanded use of early college high schools, the mapping of workforce needs against degrees produced, and the targeted use of loan repayment programs to keep key talent working in New Mexico.
“New Mexico’s workforce is one of our strongest assets,” said Department of Workforce Solutions Cabinet Secretary Celina Bussey. “Connecting more of our students and companies with opportunities helps us build on this strength – improving our employment pipeline and helping more of our graduates stay in New Mexico.”
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