Sally Ann Swartley, coordinator of Field Period and internships, presented two 30-minute workshops on internships at the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board (WIB)’s recent Intern Expo.

Swartley discussed “Steps to Establishing an Internship Program from the Ground Up” in front of 65 employers. She focused on ways to structure internship programs that are mutually beneficial to both the business and students. Swartley also created a resource guide to assist employers needing help structuring an internship.

“The WIB was getting a lot of questions from employers on how to obtain interns, but wasn’t sure how to answer them” said Swartley. “The Intern Expo was created from these questions. It was like a college fair for employers.”

The event, coordinated by Keuka College, Finger Lakes Community College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and the chambers of commerce from Seneca, Ontario, Yates and Wayne counties, was open to organizations that could utilize college interns.

The WIB’s mission is to connect job seekers with workplace opportunities in the four-county region. The organization helps job seekers improve their workplace skills and find employment. Employers utilize the WIB to fill new workforce needs and improve skills of existing employees so that those businesses can remain competitive.

-- Gretchen Parsells