This initiative aims to show college-age interns what Amarillo has to offer
Today, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (Amarillo EDC) announced the third-annual Intern Experience: Uncover Amarillo. The program aims to show college-age interns, both Panhandle native and from across the country, what Amarillo has to offer through community-based events. The official launch of the program took place last year, following a pilot program in 2019.
“We are uncovering what Amarillo can really offer students for both their personal lives and professional goals. The interns always gain a new and positive perspective of Amarillo after attending these events,” Sabrina Meck Perez, Amarillo EDC Director of Workforce Attraction & Retention, said. “Employers work so hard to provide valuable internships. We want to support businesses in retaining that talent by helping the interns put down roots in our community.”
The Intern Experience: Uncover Amarillo gathers college-age interns who are working for local businesses together for a variety of events that showcase the unique locations and qualities of Amarillo. The goal of the program is to allow for the interns to get better acclimated to the city, meet people outside of their workplace, and connect with area young professionals.
“As an organization, we want to both attract new workforce to our community and retain the workers we already have,” said Kevin Carter, President & CEO of the Amarillo EDC. “The program was very successful last year, we received positive feedback from both the interns and employers. We’re excited for this initiative to become a staple in forming our future workforce.”
A participant from last year Alyssa, a 20-year-old Texas A&M student from Austin, TX says, “It’s cuter here than I imagined it to be. There’s pretty much everything you could ever want nearby and accessible! I’ve had a great experience with my internship at Bell and honestly would jump at the chance post-graduation to live here and start my career here. Plus, from what I’ve seen, the cost of living and housing is super appealing!”
The program includes several events that take place over the summer such as a kick-off event and downtown restaurant crawl. The program is now open to the public, interested companies can call the Amarillo EDC for more information or register their company here.
Registration for the 2021 program closes Thursday, June 17, 2021.