Internships can open the doors to an excellent career in almost any field. However, because many internships are unpaid, people who would otherwise use the opportunity instead need to prioritize work that pays the bills. To make internship opportunities more accessible, Madison College has started the Paid Access to Internships and Development (PAID) program.
The WolfPack PAID program provides an hourly wage to students working unpaid internships. This turns unpaid internships into paid ones, so students do not need to make a choice between a job that pays the bills and an unpaid opportunity to advance their careers. The program benefits students who depend on regular income and cannot afford to replace work hours in already busy schedules.
Additionally, WolfPack PAID will benefit local businesses, according to Student Support Advisor at Madison College Career Services Jeffrey Close. Small businesses often do not have the excess funds to pay interns. WolfPack PAID would make it easier for these smaller businesses to meet their workforce needs without tightening their budgets.
The program was started this January as a pilot program with two students interning in Career and Employment Services at Madison College. If all goes well, however, Close hopes the program will expand in the coming years.
WolfPack PAID is targeted towards Madison College students from groups that are underrepresented in internships. First-generation college students, students with financial need demonstrated by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, and students working with disability resources at Madison College are eligible for the program, as are undocumented students. International students are currently not eligible.
To apply, eligible students must first have placement in an unpaid internship. For help finding an internship, students can contact Career and Employment Services at Madison College, or attend an internship fair, such as the one to be hosted on the Truax Campus on Feb. 20.
Once they have found and been accepted as an intern, students can then find the application form through Handshake.
The application is open year-round. After being accepted to the program, students report their hours online and receive $15 per hour for up to 200 hours of work at their internship.
Close emphasizes that internships, both paid and unpaid, can be a wonderful opportunity to further careers across the board. He encourages students to look into internships, either individually or by contacting Career and Employment Services, who partner with many local businesses to place interns.