Contact: Laura Osberger
lauraosberger@schev.edu
(804) 387-5191
For Immediate Release
August 18, 2022
RICHMOND - A state grant will fund a regional effort that will increase the number of high-quality paid internships and other work-based learning opportunities for students. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) awarded the $250,000 grant to the University of Mary Washington. The grant is part of the Innovative Internship Fund and Program, also known as the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership, whose purpose is to expand paid and credit-bearing student internships and other work-based learning opportunities in collaboration with Virginia employers.
The grant partners UMW and the newly formed Rappahannock Work & Learn Collaborative who will lead the regional collaborative effort in the Fredericksburg, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck areas. Grant funds will be used to connect employers to students and ensure the readiness of employers, students and higher education institutions to increase significantly the number of high-quality paid internships and other work-based learning opportunities in the region.
UMW joins Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University (in partnership with ChamberRVA), Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia (in partnership with Virginia Career Works – Piedmont), all of which are leading similar efforts in their respective regions. SCHEV plans to award a total of nine grants across the Commonwealth by 2024.
Grant awardees to date have convened multiple partners, including employers, public school systems, community colleges, other public and private institutions of higher education, chambers of commerce, economic development partnerships and industry associations to recruit new employer partners interested in hosting interns and support those companies through the process.
Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University received their grants in late spring 2021 and have engaged hundreds of area employers for in-person and virtual workshops, round table discussions and informal “coffee hours” focused on work-based learning. Other events have provided the opportunity for students to meet company representatives and ask questions about their internship programs. UVA and ODU received grant awards in spring 2022 and are beginning to offer services to employers and students this summer.
The Commonwealth’s Innovative Internship Fund and Program (branded as the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership) is funded by the General Assembly. SCHEV administers the program in partnership with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
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The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the state’s coordinating agency for higher education. With Pathways to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, SCHEV is dedicated to making Virginia the best state for education by 2030. For more on this statewide strategic plan, visit schev.edu/TheVirginiaPlan.
