The Public Education Foundation is recruiting Chattanooga-area businesses to hire Hamilton County Department of Education high school students for paid summer internships through its STEP-UP Chattanooga initiative.
Launched in January 2016, this internship program for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will provide work readiness training designed to help students be successful in interviews and professional settings.
STEP-UP Chattanooga aims to place 150 students in internships this summer, doubling the number of participants from last year.
The following businesses, nonprofits and other organizations have already signed up for summer 2017: 2nds in Building Materials (Southeastern Salvage), 3H Group Hotels, Application Researchers, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Chattanooga Gas, Chattanooga Library, Chattanooga Publishing Company, Chattanooga Renaissance Fund, Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga Zoo, Chattem, City of Chattanooga, Creative Discovery Museum, Electric Power Board (EPB), Elemi Architects, Erlanger Health System, The Enterprise Center, Greenspaces, Habitat for Humanity, Hullco, Lamp Post Properties, MediTract, Merrill Lynch, Newcomb Spring, Northside Neighborhood House, River City Company, Signal Centers, SmartBank, Southeastern Tennessee Development District, SunTrust Bank, Tennessee American Water, Tennessee Aquarium, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Vayner Media, Vision Hospitality and WRCB-TV.
Many of these businesses participated in the STEP-UP Chattanooga pilot program last year, employing 76 HCDE high school students who earned over $100,000 in combined income.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation committed $300,000 and Benwood Foundation contributed $200,000 for the first two years of the program which serves those most at risk for joblessness. The City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, HCDE and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce are also founding partners.
For information on becoming a business partner, visit stepupchattanooga.org.
Source: Public Education Foundation