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Public Relations and Marketing | Published Jun 24, 2021
A generous grant from Employee Connections provides College of Lake County (CLC) students with paid internship opportunities this summer. The Signature Summer Internship Program, through the Career and Job Placement Center at CLC, helps place students in internships and pays them $15 per hour while providing a work experience opportunity to help with career exploration.
Students can also enroll in and earn up to three free credit hours in Educational Work Experience courses. Employee Connections also offers support services including transportation, clothing and supplies to those in need.
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To be eligible, students must reside in Lake County, be between the ages of 16 and 24 and be currently enrolled at CLC.
Lyndy Garcia, a marketing and public relations intern with the Waukegan Township, was not only thankful to get help from CLC finding an internship, but also to have one that pays her.
“Not a lot of internships are paid, so I'm grateful,” Garcia said. “Without the program, I wouldn’t have this paid opportunity.”
The program began on June 4, but many spots are still open. Funding for the internships runs through the end of August, and prospective students have until June 30 to start. A variety of internships are available in different fields of interest and pay up to 30 hours a week.
Barbara Billimack, a career services specialist at CLC, hopes students can use these internships as an opportunity to bring their education to life.
“The program is a fantastic way for students to develop skills by actually working at a job,” Billimack said. “Students learn different theories and skills in the classroom, but internships provide them an opportunity to practice them in a real-world setting. It’s also a great way to see if the area of study is a good match for them.”
To get started in the program, students can contact Elizabeth Bulley from the CLC Career and Job Placement Center at ebulley1@clcillinois.edu.
About College of Lake County
College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes and is a national leader in many areas, including sustainability and conservation.