Building Local Talent Pipelines

We help organizations launch meaningful internship programs for young people.

Through our Learn and Earn Internship Program, our employer partners provide work-based learning experiences that help students develop as professionals, while expanding talent development pipelines for underrepresented talent within their local communities.

Partnership Structure

High Schools or Community-Based Organizations

Recruit students and provide a supportive learning environment.

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Employers

Place interns with managers who can provide a meaningful paid internship experience, at least 6 hours per week.

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Opportunity College

Provides curriculum and instruction through our Intern Seminar Course, which helps students build professional skills and reflect on their experience.

What Students Gain

Our Learn & Earn Internship Programs help high school and college-age students to:

  • Gain meaningful work experience

  • Master professional skills at an accelerated rate

  • Build professional and social capital

  • Explore career interests

  • Secure future employment (at internship host site or another company) that fosters career advancement

  • "This course prepared us for not only this Internship, but the outside world."

    — High School Intern

  • "I feel more prepared career-wise. I now know what to expect from a Tech job -- because I am working one."

    — High School Intern

  • "I love the fact that I can learn about computer science outside of school and then have conversations with my computer science teachers about things I am learning at my internship. We are given a lot of independence and trust. We have people who believe in us and know that we can accomplish great things. "

    — High School Intern

Intern Seminar Course

We deliver a career-oriented curriculum that helps students develop durable character skills, knowledge, agency, and professional competencies required for success as a lifelong learner and career professional.

Four Stages of Learning

Our instructional approach incorporates four-stages of learning designed to help young people become self-directed, self-determined learners who are empowered to reflect and make decisions to guide their career trajectory and aligned continuing education.    

  • Theory: Learn key skills in the classroom environment

  • Application: Practice new skills in the classroom setting and then on-the-job

  • Feedback: Receive feedback aligned to a Skills Rubric (calibrated to students' age and experience)

  • Reflection: Process and reflect in a cohort learning community during weekly class and through formal end-of-semester portfolio presentations

 

Example Course Topics

Crafting your Professional Brand

Goal Setting & Time Management

Workplace Skills (Communication, Setting up you Calendar & Email Inbox, Note-taking)

Giving & Receiving Feedback

Contributing to a Team

Analyzing a Problem & Generating Solutions

  • We are seeking employers who are interested in hosting high school and/or college-age students for:

    • Part-time, paid internships

    • 3-12 months long

    • Allow for meaningful work experience

    We can help design and launch a brand new program or we can provide a talent development curriculum to complement an organization’s existing internship program.

    If your organization is looking to reimagine the impact of corporate and social responsibility and/or expand your diverse talent development pipeline, please contact us.

  • We work with high school partners to launch internship programs at your schools. We provide virtual curriculum and instruction, but depend on high school partners to ensure the student experience feels supportive and cohesive. We also work with high school partners to ensure students get academic credit for the Intern Seminar course. If your school is looking to expand career-connected programming to your high school students or recent graduates, please contact us.

  • We collaborate with community-based organizations and philanthropic investors to implement “Learn and Earn” internship models in after-school or summer settings. If your organization is looking to expand career-connected programming to young people in your local community, please contact us.

Partner with us

For more information, please email Sarah Barrett (sbarrett@opcollege.org).