Texas Tri-Agency Partners Announce “Texas Internship Challenge”

TWC, TEA and THECB Partner with Texas Industries to Help Connect Employers and Students

AUSTIN – Texas’ Tri-Agency partners today announced the “Texas Internship Challenge,” a new statewide campaign to increase and promote internships for students in Texas. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Andres Alcantar, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes, TWC Employer Commissioner Ruth Hughs and TWC Labor Commissioner Julian Alvarez were joined by executives from Lockheed Martin, Accenture, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas and Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance, among other industry and education leaders to unveil www.TXInternshipChallenge.com, a website where employers can post positions and students can apply for them.
“We are committed to working in partnership to increase the number of high school and college internships in high-demand industry clusters and occupations that provide students with marketable skills, strong work habits, and college credit where possible.” said Chairman Alcantar. “I challenge Texas employers to join the Texas Internship Challenge and help the future Texas workforce understand the broad range of opportunities available to them in the Texas economy.”

The Texas Internship Challenge is a joint partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), who are promoting the challenge for industry and employer partners to offer paid internships; universities and colleges to promote the campaign and grant academic credit for internship opportunities; and to students to apply for and accept these internships.

“Through the Texas Internship Challenge, we reinforce the link between education and industry, while giving students a window into the many careers possible at world-class businesses in Texas,” said Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “We look forward to working with Texas school principals, teachers and counselors to provide more opportunities to our young workforce.”

“The Texas Internship Challenge will create opportunities for students to add work experience as part of their academic credential to better prepare them for the workplace,” said Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes. “This effort supports our 60x30TX marketable skills goal, and enables Texas employers to promote jobs in their industries to our future workforce.”

“We have consistently heard from employers of the need for new graduates to possess workplace skills such as team building and problem solving,” said TWC Employer Commissioner Ruth Hughs. “Employers offering this real-world work experience is a way to identify, train, and prepare the leaders of the future workforce. I commend our Texas employers for rising to the challenge to provide training opportunities through this resource.”

“Internships not only provide important work and life experiences for students, but also sets them up for future workplace success,” said TWC Labor Commissioner Julian Alvarez. “Providing students with increased opportunities to work and learn in high-demand industries will continue to make our Texas workforce top-notch and for our state to continue to be a great place to live and work.”

TWC, TEA and THECB encourage internship programs as a bridge for students to explore in-demand industries and occupations. Students will benefit from mentoring, career guidance, identification of marketable skills, and learn about high-demand occupations. Employers will benefit by the opportunity to explore candidates for full-time recruitment and leverage the developing skill sets and perspectives of students, while also highlighting careers in their industries.