Internships

Seniors Share How Internships Change Trajectory of Life After High School

February 5, 2025

Alignment, Northern Kane County Region 110, and ECC Celebrate Industry Host Partners

Partnering with Northern Kane County Region 110 and Elgin Community College, Alignment hosted its first Internship Recognition Breakfast for all organizations hosting summer interns in 2024. More than 100 guests attended the event at ECC with 41 organizations honored for hosting the 146 students that participated in the program during 2024. The event also attracted more than a dozen organizations interested in learning how they might become an internship host site in 2025.

Six student interns from Central, Dundee Crown, Hampshire, Larkin, and Streamwood high schools shared how their internship experiences shaped their future career plans as they prepare to graduate in May. Industry representatives from Advocate Sherman Hospital, Bartlett Police Department, Bob Loquercio Auto Group, Elgin State Bank, Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc., Hoffer Plastics, and West Side Tractor discussed their internship model with prospective companies describing how their organizations designed the internship opportunity to meet the minimum 60 hour requirement for students to receive academic credit combined with students being paid for those hours.

Gina De rosier Cook, Dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education at Elgin Community College, announced a second year of Take Back the Trades grant funding to sponsor 75 high school students this year, a 50% increase from 2024 along with funding provided by corporate partners, municipalities, the United Way Elgin Neighborhood Network, Elgin Township, the Seigle Foundation and investments by School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and recently committed St. Charles Community Unit School District 303. Terry Stroh, Director, Northern Kane County Region 110, predicts that with this funding base and the support of the business community, 200 students could be placed throughout the region’s industry sectors to include automotive, business, culinary, engineering, financial services, health care, heavy equipment, manufacturing, municipal services, and welding.

Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 are working to identify all internship opportunities with completed position descriptions by March 3, 2025 opening the application process to 11 high schools by March 10, 2025. If your organization is interested in offering internships for Summer 2025, please contact Nancy Coleman at colemanace@align4edu.org or Terry Stroh at terry.stroh@central301.net for further information.

For highlights of the Breakfast, please see Rick West’s Daily Herald article ‘We really are changing lives’: Internship program helps students make post-high school plans

Strong Collaborations Lead to $8 Million for Youth Apprenticeships

September 12, 2024

Brian McGuire, President and CEO, AED Foundation; Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro; U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi; Mark Toulos, Operating Engineers Local 150; Melissa Owens, President, U-46 Board of Education; Eric Hill, CEO, Youth Workforce Development Foundation

Thank you to Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Foundation and Youth Workforce Development Foundation (YWDF)

South Elgin High School made the news serving as the announcement site for an $8 million dollar grant awarded through the Build America program to help high school students across the state access apprenticeship programs in heavy machine maintenance and operations. Led by Alignment’s partner, the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Foundation, in partnership with the Youth Workforce Development Foundation (YWDF), and SkillsUSA Illinois, Eric Hill, CEO of YWDF, shared with the greater Elgin community the framework for the grant to build youth-focused apprenticeships that create a “pipeline to long-term career opportunities in the heavy equipment space”.

Brian McGuire, president of the AED Foundation joined by U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro, together shared the importance and significance of this grant to train the future workforce in a career field projecting 40,000 job vacancies. Across the region, Terry Stroh, director, Northern Kane County Region 110, has worked in partnership with school districts U-46, 300, and 301 to expand career options for students enrolled in the region’s automotive CTE programs.

Just this past summer, Alignment joined efforts across Region 110 to offer paid summer internship opportunities to automotive students hosted by ALTA, West Side Tractor, and the Bob Loquercio Auto Group. Sean Fitzgerrel, Vice President of the AED Foundation, led efforts to bring Alignment, Region 110, and YWDC together sharing that “the Alignment Collaborative played a pivotal role in securing ABA Round 2 funding. Through strategic partnerships and a shared vision, they amplified our effort, demonstrating the collective power of collaboration in driving workforce development and educational advancement.”

Interns Experience What Makes Businesses and Organizations Successful

August 22, 2024

High school interns, hosted this summer by more than a dozen of Alignment’s partners, gained knowledge and experience in how businesses operate from designing marketing plans and developing social media communications to understanding financial performance and the critical role of customer service and retention. Other students excelled at culinary and hospitality experiences, governmental affairs, video production, media releases, etc.

Students were placed in multiple industry clusters ranging from automotive dealerships to financial institutions along with municipal and non-profit business exposure. Host partners shared career experiences in accounting, business communications, finance, and marketing showing students that this industry sector of careers exist in all types of businesses from large corporations and branch operations to small business ventures.

Information technology internships were also very popular with students having opportunities available in the private sector but also within the region’s school districts. Ranjani Venkataraman, from Jacobs High School, an intern for Fox Valley Internet, worked in individual and business marketing while also making progress in gaining industry recognized certifications. He described what he saw and what goals he is working toward. “I went to a data center that looked like it came out of a spy movie. I also did some cybersecurity training and am almost at an NSE certification.”

Twenty-five students from Bartlett, Central, Elgin, Jacobs, Larkin, South Elgin, and Streamwood were selected for these internships across the region with assignments varying from a 60-hour opportunity to full summer employment opportunities. Four students had the exciting opportunity to work all summer at four different Wintrust bank locations. Another student gained experience at KCT Credit Union. Sharlene Manuel Cano from Streamwood High School reflected on her experience sharing that the experience at KCT “helped me learn so much about the different positions and responsibilities that exist in managing a financial institution.” From banquet preparation to culinary presentations, students also had the opportunity for experience in event planning as a full summer experience working with Bartlett Hills Golf Clubs & Banquets learning about kitchen productivity in a fast-paced environment.

Across all twenty-five internships, students clearly experienced the importance of being on-time and ready to work with customer service as one of their highest priorities. Alignment is most appreciative to the array of business and community partners that made these experiences possible for students as they work to shape their future career plans:

Bartlett Hills Golf Club & Banquets
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Boys and Girls Club
Central School District 301
Centro De Informacion
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
Fox Valley Internet
Golden Corridor YMCA
KCT Credit Union
Office of Representative Anna Moeller
School District U-46
Village of Bartlett
Village of Hanover Park
Wintrust

Teacher Pipeline and Human Service Internships Prepare Students to Give Back to the Community

August 15, 2024

Over this summer, 22 students were given the opportunity to explore career paths in the vast teacher pipeline and human services professions. School District U-46 led the way hosting over a dozen interns in its elementary and middle summer school programs. Other hosting partners included Bartlett Park District, Community Unit School District 300, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center.

These internships helped prepare students to become future teachers or work in the field of human services. While it may not seem like a big deal at first glance, preparing students for this field is especially important at a time like this as Illinois continues to experience a teacher shortage. In its sixth annual and most recent survey of teacher shortages in Illinois schools, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) published the following:

73% of schools indicated they had teacher shortages
93% said the shortages were as bad or worse than the previous year
95% reported shortages in substitute teachers

In efforts to help lower these percentages, Alignment is working with school districts 300, 301, and U-46 in partnership with Elgin Community College, Judson University, Northern Illinois University, and Northern Kane County Region 110 to build across the region a sustainable pipeline of teachers for the next decade.

Students described their internship experience as challenging and very helpful in solidifying their career pathway. Joseline Flores, a Larkin High School student and an intern at the U-46 Summer School Elementary Program, enjoyed “getting an insight on how teachers plan their lessons of the day, and it made a positive impact on my path to early education. Not only did I learn and observe the teacher, but I got to experience lesson planning and teaching the students”.

Wilebaldo Modesto Hernandez, a student at Elgin High School, who participated in the U-46 Summer School Middle School Program shared that “being in the field of education is not easy. It takes patience and time, but it is worth it. Seeing others happy by your presence.” Wilebaldo and Joseline are just some of the many students who will graduate from one of the region’s nine high schools, planning to remain in the region for their teacher education preparation, and then hopefully choosing to begin their professional careers in the region’s elementary, middle, and high schools.

For those interested in the education and human services career pathways, Alignment and the Teacher Pipeline partners host Education Days at NIU, ECC, and Judson. Dates for the upcoming school year include the visit to NIU for Education Day on October 3, 2024, and the visit to ECC in January, 2025. Students will also have the chance to visit Judson University’s Department of Education in the spring.

It is a great opportunity for those interested in becoming a teacher or working in the field of human services and may even persuade some to apply for the internship opportunities offered next summer. Precious Angels intern and Central High School student, Nerivette Garcia, shared “It was an amazing experience that I would love to do again. I am so very grateful for all the people and wonderful kids I have met, truly something I will never forget.”

For students focusing on human services, internships varied from serving in a setting providing food and nutrition resources to public health access, advocacy, and communications for families. Elgin High School student and Well Child Center intern, Mahitha Ratakonda says “Seeing the gratitude and relief in the eyes of families receiving care solidified my commitment to pursue public health in the future. It reminded me that even small efforts can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”

Thank you to Bartlett Park District, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center along with School Districts U-46 and 300 for providing such a memorable experience for students wanting to pursue careers in teaching and human services.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Bartlett Park District Early Ed. Intern with students

Manufacturing Internships Lead to Future Career Choices

August 2, 2024

Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining gave 21 students the amazing opportunity to intern at their manufacturing and precision machining companies, some of the most prominent in the region. These students represented Bartlett, Central, Elgin, Hampshire, Larkin, and South Elgin high schools. They were able to experience an array of different internships focusing on various manufacturing processes and highlighting the numerous manufacturing jobs available in the greater Elgin area.

These internships provided a learning experience like no other and gave students an immense amount of experience and skill. Here is what Jacob Williams, a student at Central High School and an intern at Elgin Sweeper’s Welding Internship, had to say about his experience, “The internship taught me practical skills and real-world problem-solving techniques that are not covered in school. I learned important lessons about workplace dynamics, communication, and professional etiquette that can only be gained through actual work experience”.

Because of the diverse manufacturing product lines, students were experimenting with plastic injection molding, precision machining, hydraulic motor drives, electric zero-emission technology, laser scanner technology, modular industrial connectors, and various welding processes. Students also viewed the implementation of common manufacturing competencies shared by the industry, leading to them understanding the 5S pillars, OSHA safety standards, blueprint reading, CNC programming, electronics, precision measurement, automation and robotic applications. Ayush Patel, an intern at Bucher Hydraulics and South Elgin High School student, reflected it is”very interesting to me that you can always work to improve productivity and quality. Manufacturing has tons of innovation involved.”

Students had their hands full at this internship but that’s what made students enjoy it so much. Thomas Madsen, an intern at ITW Shakeproof and an Elgin High School student, shared “In these internships, there is never a dull moment, and you always feel like you are contributing to a team.” Edwin Alexander Romo, a student at Larkin High School interning at Lakeview Precision Machining, exclaimed “It’s absolutely great! I learned so much in just a short span of three weeks”. These internships provided students with a great amount of knowledge while making the experience enjoyable.

On top of providing a great experience for students now, the internships also helped prepare students for the possibility of getting a career in manufacturing in the future. Through these internships, students quickly grasped that the level of education required to work in the manufacturing industry varies by career pathway with some leading to entry-level jobs and great advancement opportunities starting with just a high school diploma. Others may require apprenticeship and skilled training programs while some may need a university degree. Gaining this type of knowledge can be the deciding factor for many. Hampshire High School student and Hoffer Plastics intern, Michele Parker states “It helped me decide what I’d like to do after high school. Rather than be an engineer, I would instead like to be a CNC programmer”.

For others, this internship also built an understanding of professional networking for future career success. Jingyen Wen, a Harting engineering intern and Bartlett High School student, described the experience as a “wonderful way to meet new people and establish connections that may be helpful in the future, as well as giving you a direction or idea of where you want to work after you graduate from college”. It is safe to say that these internship hosts truly have their students’ best interests at heart and want them to succeed, not just as they intern, but in all their future endeavors.

Thank you to Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining for providing students with such a remarkable internship and giving them opportunities to get ahead in their respective career paths.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Students Prepare to be Future Healthcare Professionals

July 24, 2024

The Alignment Collaborative for Education partnering with Northern Kane County Region 110 and Elgin Community College offered paid internship programs in healthcare to 31 students interested in an array of medical professions. Hosting organizations included Advocate Sherman Hospital, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Diamond Physical Therapy, Ortho Illinois, and VNA Healthcare.

Terry Stroh, EFE director for Region 110, describes the summer internship program “as career builders for students with experiences designed based on the future workforce development needs for the region with healthcare jobs expected to have significant growth and advancement opportunities for the next decade. Todd Stirn, serving as the workforce development specialist for Region 110 adds “By participating in this internship, students not only gained valuable insights into the medical field, but they also developed a broad set of skills that are beneficial across multiple career paths in the medical field”.

The partnership with Advocate Sherman began with the pilot of the pharmacy technician program in Summer 2023 providing internship opportunities to ten students. For this summer, Advocate Sherman and Advocate Good Shepherd hospitals offered 15 opportunities for internships as pharmacy technicians while including the license preparation training provided by TalentFirst. Nancy Coleman, Alignment’s executive director, recognizes this robust partnership: “We are most thankful to Advocate Sherman and Advocate Good Shepherd hospitals for opening career doors for these students while still in high school. As a result of programs like the pharmacy technician internship, students can go to work in community pharmacies at age 16 expedited by this internship preparation.”

While the pharmacy technician internship is perfect for those who would like to go into the medical professions in career fields that require knowledge of pharmaceuticals, there are still some students who are unsure of their healthcare concentration. For ten students interested in exploring the healthcare profession, the medical rotation internship program seemed a perfect fit. The interns spent time in ten different areas of Advocate Sherman Hospital helping them to better define their career interests.

Both Diamond Physical Therapy and Ortho Illinois have new internship programs for Summer 2024 supporting the growing interest of students in pursuing the career field of physical therapy assistant offered by Elgin Community College or pursuing their education further to receive the Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Amy Skrabacz, a student from South Elgin High School, describes the internship at Diamond Physical Therapy as the opportunity to get a hands-on feel for the physical therapy profession. “I have taken away what the physical therapy atmosphere looks like in an outpatient setting.”

VNA Healthcare has also joined the partnership with a pilot rotational program in July offering additional opportunities at its clinic in Elgin. On her first day, student intern Gurlin Kaur from Streamwood High School, described her patient experience highlighting the introduction to the patient on-boarding process, the need for a comprehensive patient medical history, and supporting patient vitals to adequately provide the quality care that patients need.

Sheree Speakman, executive director of TalentFirst, commended “The private and public partnership between the schools, Northern Kane County Region 110, the local healthcare providers, and Alignment to provide programs like a 40 + 20 model that effectively provides the students a hands-on exploration of the profession while still in high school leading toward more informed decisions as they select their postsecondary field of study”.

Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 greatly appreciate the investment made by Advocate Sherman, Advocate Good Shepherd, Diamond Physical Therapy, Ortho Illinois, and VNA Healthcare for providing these students their next opportunity as future healthcare professionals.