The Community Internship Program has placed 108 recent graduates in internships with non-governmental organizations and municipal governments, says Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.
“The Community Internship Program is allowing skilled young people to find work on PEI,” says Campbell. “Through this program, important Island organizations are receiving help in their work to improve their communities, and recent graduates are finding work experience that lets them build on the skills they developed during their studies.”
The Alberton Historic Preservation Society is one of over 100 organizations who have hired an intern. President Lynda Curtis says that their intern, Kelly Murphy, has far exceeded the Society’s expectations in her job coordinating the Alberton Heritage Centre’s May to December schedule of cultural and educational events, as well as managing bookings, promotion and advertisement.
The Montague Library Board is another organization employing a recent graduate. Librarian Swarna Chandrasekera says that Lisa Newcombe has been a great asset to the community library, and that she is receiving experience of a range of librarianship duties in preparation for a library technician course she plans to take following the internship.
Child Find PEI has also recently hired two interns through the program. Justin Douglas will re-develop the Youth Run-Away Program for youth aged 13-19, and Todd Roswell will work with Child Find PEI to build a website that is informative, interactive and easily edited by staff in order to reach the teens and parents who make up the group’s target audience.
“Child Find PEI very much appreciates being a part of this exciting learning opportunity,” says Kay Lidstone, President of Child Find PEI. “Through the Community Internship Program, we are able to provide two young people with a work site to develop their skills and Child Find has gained much-needed resources to develop our teen program and enhance our website. We are looking forward to a mutually positive and collaborative experience.”
The Community Internship Program is ongoing, and will continue placing interns with organizations until October.