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MS. BOHAN Hi. Welcome to the AMC News Dispatch. I’m Melissa Bohan of the Public and Congressional Affairs Office.
For some college students and recent graduates a career in the Army might not be the first thing that comes to mind.
But thanks to an Army intern program aimed at specific educational institutions,
students and recent graduates are getting a firsthand look at how the Army workforce operates.
Jon Connor of AMC’s Army Sustainment Command Public Affairs Office
recently spoke to students who just finished their program at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
MR. CONNOR The contract internship is sponsored by the Minority College Relations Program.
It’s an Army wide program that allows students or recent college graduates of historically black colleges and universities,
Hispanic serving institutions and tribal colleges, the opportunity to work side by side with Army civilians.
The Rock Island Arsenal internships, which are 10 and 15 weeks in length,
give students the opportunity to learn and produce at a professional level with the Army Sustainment Command
and the Joint Munitions Command.
MR. PEER They get a chance to see how the government operates. They get a chance to look at the government behind the curtains,
what’s going on behind the scenes, and then go back and relate that to their training, back to their school
or university that they are attending. And so it’s two things. It’s the number one is giving them ---
the reason they go to school is to get a job so it’s giving them prospects on a job opportunity.
And then number two, it gives them an opportunity to understand the Army, you know, because many of the students,
they look at the Army as being Soldiers out fighting and any time you say Army they shy away.
But here they are seeing civilian support that make the Army run.
MR. CONNOR These internships enhance the federal government’s future readiness.
Since 2007 about 25 percent of the interns began a federal career by being placed into a permanent position.
The interns come from a variety of backgrounds, demographically as well as academically.
Some of the majors run the gamut from engineering, business, speech communications,
psychology to computer science. Interns also receive housing and transportation to and from work along with their salary.
Interning is one thing but with the Army, well, that’s a whole new experience.
MS. MARTIN I’ve learned that there are a lot of things that go into just the warfighter in general, just keeping them safe, keeping ---
getting them things that they need in a timely manner, making sure that they have everything that they need
and their families are taken care of as well. So I feel like overall it’s a really good place to work
and a really good program to be a part of.
MS. GOMEZ I learned that you have to be --- everything takes it’s time.
There’s a process to get things done, approvals from everybody and it’s just a matter of waiting for everything.
MR. LANLER I would say there’s numerous opportunities, endless opportunities, for someone like myself
and other college students to explore. It’s like entry level type positions. Basically the experience, the networking –
everything’s been great so far.
MS. ESPINOZA It’s kind of different because you need to go through a lot of procedures and steps,
like in order to do something you need a lot of approval from some other departments and other areas.
It’s kind of different from the private sector in which you just like propose a project and probably just need like
the approval from your supervisors but here it’s approval from several departments.
MR. CONNOR And what about expectations?
MS. RIVAS I wanted to get experience, something to help me with my resume, to look good on my resume,
giving me a different facet for working for the federal government, something different,
just basically experience because I wasn’t ready to, immediately after graduation,
go off into the work field because I’m still kind of debating on whether I want to go to graduate school or not.
MS. BARFIELD Hopefully a job, a career. It would actually be a great career start for me.
MR. ODUTOLA Something to put on my resume, you know what I’m saying? Maybe a career field if I, you know what I’m saying,
pursued working for the government. I mean many things that this program has helped me out with.
MR. CASEY I had the expectation of working for the government as a civilian was going to be boring, repetitive, dreary --
but it’s not that. It’s not that at all.
MR. CONNOR Basic student requirements are that interns are attending or are recent graduates from partnered minority colleges,
have computer skills, possess a valid driver’s license and obtain at least a 2.5 grade point average.
MR. PEER We’re not staying right in this region. I mean we’re going across --- I mean we have students that placed from,
I believe, about a half a dozen states. So it’s not just Illinois even though the command is located here in Illinois.
We go out as far east as North Carolina. We go south as far as Mississippi and Florida pulling students in.
We go west to New Mexico. So we pull students in and place them across the country.
MR. CONNOR To learn more about the program and how to enroll contact Deidre Eaton, MCRP coordinator,
at (309)782-5204 or you can email her at this address (deidre.eaton@us.army.mil).
MS. BARFIELD I will recommend it to them. It’s a great way to get yourself out there.
It’s a great job opportunity, exposure, get to network and it’s a great career choice.
MS. ESPINOZA Don’t even think twice about getting involved into this program.
MR. CONNOR I’m Jon Connor for the Army Sustainment Command public affairs office at Rock Island Arsenal.
MS. BOHAN Intern programs such as the one sponsored by the Minority College Relations Program
are a great way for students to gain work related experience,
networking opportunities and learn the value of possibly becoming Army civilians.
Well, that about does it for this edition of the AMC News Dispatch and don’t forget to visit the AMC website at
www.amc.army.mil and click on the news and information link for the latest items of interest about the command.
Thanks so much for watching. We hope to see you next time.
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