The SVO, City of San Jose, and the work2future Foundation partner with four local school districts to connect 200 high school students to paid summer internships
San Jose, Calif—The Silicon Valley Organization announced this week that through a partnership between the City of San Jose, Strive San Jose, and the work2future Foundation, as well as the partnerships forged with four local school districts, it will be connecting paid summer internships to local high school students for a second year.
“Local internships can help at-risk youth develop the critical skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century economy,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “The continued partnership between SJ Works and Strive San Jose provides students with the practical work experience and the access to industry experts necessary to place them on a sustainable career path. I look forward to hearing about this year’s success stories and growing this partnership in the years to come.”
“Workforce development and readiness matters; to our businesses, our elected leaders, our educators and our communities,” said Matthew Mahood, The Silicon Valley Organization President & CEO. “We are proud of the work being done through our Strive San Jose initiative and the partnerships we have forged to benefit students and businesses alike. The long-term economic impact of placing 200 local high school students into paid summer internships with local businesses across various industry sectors is immeasurable. We are positively shaping these kids’ outlook and perspective on potential future careers ”
Two hundred high school students enrolled in career courses at Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, Metropolitan Education District, and San José Unified School District have undergone soft-skills training with LinkedIn professionals and will interview with more than 100 participating businesses to be placed into paid summer internships.
“When East Side students are able to make connections to industry, these opportunities further enhance the quality of classroom learning offered by our 23 Career Pathway programs,” said Chris Funk, Superintendent of the East Side Union High School District. “These experiences help students connect the dots on how a rigorous academic program will help prepare them for lifelong career success. ESUHSD is committed to supporting our students in that capacity and we are thrilled to partner with The SVO to bring the business community together in support of our students.”
The Strive Internship Program pilot launched in 2016 with founding partner district ESUHSD and placed 41 students into paid summer internships with more than 30 SVO member businesses. Each student is placed with a local employer and works up to 20 hours a week for up to five weeks during the summer months.
Now, the program includes ESUHSD and three additional school districts, raising the number of students served from 41 to 200.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Strive San Jose to launch an innovative internship program that provides students with the opportunity to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to real life experiences,” said Nancy Albarrán, San José Unified School District Superintendent. “This hands-on work with Silicon Valley companies will help prepare today’s students to be the thinkers, leaders, and creators of tomorrow.”
Campbell Union High School District joins San Jose Unified and Metropolitan Education District as new partners in 2017.
“We look forward to expanding the partnership between our schools, higher education institutions, and other community partners to align education systems with career pathways,” said Robert Bravo, Campbell Union High School District Superintendent. “And more importantly, we look forward to selecting an outstanding CUHSD student to work in our office this summer to provide input as we carry our work forward.”
“Our students are prepared to thrive in college and careers,” said Alyssa Lynch, Superintendent of Metropolitan Education District. “Across 28 of our Career Technical Education courses, our teachers prepare high school students with the proper workplace etiquette. Students are taught to show up on time, dress professionally, and draw on over 500 hours of training. We’re happy to see these students shine as future leaders of Silicon Valley’s workforce.”
