The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the University of Mary Washington (UMW), is pleased to welcome over 500 high school students to the Fredericksburg Expo Center on February 14th for the second annual Intern Expo. The new partnership between the Chamber of Commerce and UMW is meant to increase and enhance internships in the GO Virginia Region 6. The Chamber and UMW intend to collaborate to increase internships by using state-developed resources to educate employers, co-host the Internship Expo, and expand the reach of the Expo across GO Virginia Region 6. Kimberly Young, Associate Provost for Career and Workforce at UMW says, “This collaboration makes sense for our organizations and this region. With resources from the Virginia Talent+Opportunity (VTOP) grant, we are positioned to highlight employment opportunities within the region and match students who are prepared to enter the world of work as interns or take a step toward their first career. UMW is most interested in leveraging resources to support the great initiatives that already exist within our region and maximizing the benefit to employers, students, and other regional educational institutions.”
High school students from Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, several private schools as well as students from Germanna and the University of Mary Washington will have the opportunity to interact with 75 businesses representing multiple facets of industry. Businesses at this event will be able to speak with local high school and college students with an eye toward recruitment and retention of homegrown talent.
Students will be able to prepare professionally for their career with breakout sessions that include mock interviews, Linked-In advice, resume reviews, career assessments, elevator pitch practice, and what are the next steps with all the information gathered throughout the day.
Rebecca Morris, Internship and Work-Study Counselor for Germanna Community College says, “The Intern Expo will allow our area employers the opportunity to see the vast wealth of potential employees coming from our public school systems and local institutions of higher education. Specifically, Germanna students will be able to showcase what they are learning in their classes and demonstrate their abilities for our local employers. The Intern Expo will help to solidify our regional partnerships, foster new relationships, and help our community retain great graduates as members of our workforce. These are the connections we need to identify and promote. We’re proud to partner with the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce on this effort and expect great outcomes.”
Participating students have an opportunity to receive a $1,500 scholarship (3 available). Businesses in attendance are encourage to donate to the scholarship fund. Current contributors to the scholarship fund are: Mary Washington Healthcare Foundation, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and Rappahannock Goodwill Industries. This event would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, Fredericksburg Area Builders Association, Bay Consortium Workforce Development, Matern Staffing, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, Rappahannock United Way and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative.