BOSTON, Mass. /Massachusetts Newswire/ — The Commonwealth Marketing Office today launched a new internship site hosted by Massachusetts: It’s All Here to help keep young talent, the state’s most valuable resource, here in Massachusetts. The Mass Stay Here Internship Site is a comprehensive statewide internship resource that will highlight and increase internship opportunities, and send a clear and consistent message to the Commonwealth’s college students and recent graduates that Massachusetts wants you to STAY HERE.
“Massachusetts is a place of unparalleled opportunity,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “And we are committed to connecting our young talent with the kinds of opportunities that will encourage them to stay.”
“As we continue to encourage our college students to stay here, this new website will serve as a critical resource and tool to help students access various internship opportunities across the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “We want to ensure these types of resources are readily available to not only support the full learning experience for all students but also connect them to future workforce skills and career opportunities here in Massachusetts.”
The new internship site, powered by Experience.com, a Massachusetts-based web company, offers these resources:
•All companies with Massachusetts-based internships are invited to post and promote their internship opportunities on the site for free. This will create a one-stop shop for students searching for statewide internship opportunities, while still allowing companies to maintain their own application process and individual posting mechanisms.
•Massachusetts college students will be able to search and find Massachusetts-based internships, helping them build professional networks with local companies. Currently, over 100 internships exist on the site, and new companies, industry groups, and economic development-focused organizations are joining the collaboration on an ongoing basis.
•All Massachusetts colleges and universities will be made aware of this great new resource so they can share it with their students. Each University of Massachusetts undergraduate campus has committed to utilizing these resources for their students.
•Massachusetts: It’s All Here in conjunction with the Massachusetts Internship Collaborative and Intern Bridge has created a free how to e-book to assist small businesses who may be creating internships for the first time.
“Retaining highly-skilled talent through internships requires collaboration between the Massachusetts education system, government, and businesses,” said Jenny Floren, founder and CEO, Experience.com. “We are thrilled to be the platform that enables these organizations to work together to provide fabulous opportunities for Massachusetts students.”
Massachusetts companies that have already joined the network include: iRobot, Karmaloop, Endeca, Big Belly Solar, The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, The Museum of Science, 451 Marketing, Solomon McCown, Communispace, Vistaprint, Organogenesis, and well known mobile game, Scvngr.
“SCVNGR is powered by a team of incredible rockstars,” said Michael J. Hagan, Chief Rockstar at Scvngr. “We’re based in Boston to draw from the talent rich environment of young people including students who are ready to make an immediate impact toward building an amazing company.”
In addition, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (Boston Chamber) are also creating internship sites on the same platform for their member companies. By being on the same platform, all internships posted to the MassTLC and Boston Chamber sites will appear on the Mass Stay Here Internships site, which is a free hub for all Massachusetts internships.
“We applaud this initiative by the Patrick-Murray Administration to retain college students and keep talent in the Commonwealth,” said Paul Guzzi, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “High-value, work-based internships can provide students with work experience and help local employers attract and retain more highly-skilled workers. We urge all employers to explore internships as a valuable opportunity for connecting with and training Boston’s future leaders.”
“We’re delighted to work with the Governor on the important task of retaining more students here in Massachusetts upon graduation,” said Tom Hopcroft, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. “In addition to directly linking our internship sites and sharing postings across our respective databases, MassTLC has designed a special mentoring program to help the best and brightest students get tied into working in the state’s the coolest technology sectors — from the hottest digital games to the newest mobile apps to the most amazing robots.”
Students looking for internships or other job or networking resources can visit www.massitsallhere.com/stayhere.
