Los Fresnos News

CTE Offers Internships for Students at Businesses

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

Career and Technology Director Ronnie Rodriguez addressed the CTE Advisory Board. Photo: LFCISD

Career and Technology Director Ronnie Rodriguez addressed the CTE Advisory Board. Photo: LFCISD

Students in the Los Fresnos High School/Los Fresnos United Career and Technology Education programs are ready to work.

At the CTE Advisory Board meeting Tuesday, CTE Director Ronnie Rodriguez announced that the district is ready to expand its internship program for area businesses.

Twelve business professionals from Brownsville, Los Fresnos and Harlingen attended the meeting, along with many CTE teachers from the LFHS/LFU, and students in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) program.

Rodriguez told the group that statistics show that 63 percent of graduation seniors from college completed at least one internship and that 70 percent interns were offered full-time jobs.

Internships offer students work-related learning experiences that provide them the opportunity to gain important knowledge and skills in a particular career field.

Internships are held for two block periods from 1:30 to 4 p.m. three days a week. The internships are unpaid positions. Students are transported from LFHS to and from the business.

“We will follow the hiring practices of your company,” Rodriguez said. “We bring all these certifications that students have learned. We have hard-working students and we have high expectations for them. They are ready to go to work.”

Los Fresnos CISD offers 14 certification programs for its students to prepare them for the working world. The certificates include: Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 Certification, Adobe Flash CS5 Certification, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Certification, American Welding Society Certification – AWS, Certified Nurse Assistant – CNA, Certified Pharmacy Technician – CPHT, Certified Pulmonary Resuscitation – CPR, Emergency Medical Technician – EMT, Microsoft Office Specialist Certification – MOS, Medical Billing and Coding, ServSafe Employee Food Safety Training Certificate, 911 Dispatch

Veterinary Assistant Certification, and Volunteer Income Tax Assistant – VITA.

Eight students are doing internships at the Brownsville Public Utilities Board during the fall semester. Additional internships will be ready for more students in the spring semester.

Businesses interested in hiring interns or want more information may contact Rodriguez at the CTE Office at 956-254-5205.