ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Some St. Lucie County teens made the most of their summer, joining a new paid internship program that’s preparing them for the workforce.
WATCH BELOW: 'I feel like I’m getting a leg up,' Intern Daniel Montalvo tells WPTV's Meghan McRoberts
A total of 51 students participated in the St. Lucie Summer Internship Program, a pilot effort led by the Treasure Coast Center for Economic and Education Development (TCCEED) in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County and St. Lucie Public Schools.
“We have the teenagers. We know how to work with teenagers. They have the businesses and when you put those together, you have a match,” said Will Armstead, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County.
Twenty-five local businesses hosted interns, matching them with employees who served as mentors. At Remnant Construction, CEO Brandon Nobile said his interns picked up valuable experience.
“Our intent here was to teach them things that hopefully they can take other places,” Nobile said.
Interns Jazmyn Brunson and Daniel Montalvo worked at Remnant for the 6-week program.
“I feel like I’m getting a leg up,” said Montalvo.
Brunson, who wants to pursue journalism, appreciated helping with major local projects like Westwood Academy High School and Legacy High School.
Interns earned $15 an hour for up to 26 hours a week, paid by the Boys and Girls Club. They also took part in weekly debriefs, where they learned life skills like financial literacy.
“They figure out what they want to do and what they don’t want to do,” Armstead said.
Anita Fischer, executive director of TCCEED, said the program was selective about business partners.
“If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it with the best companies in the area,” Fischer said.
She said TCCEED wanted the program to be beneficial to businesses and interns alike.
“A young intern is going to bring energy that you don’t have. They’re also going to be innovative, they think outside the box,” she added.
At A1 Industries, their three interns stood out for their creativity.
“Putting fliers together, the marketing—they’re so skillful in that area,” said Cindy Jo Aptheker, VP of HR and Legal.
So far, at least 10 interns have received job offers, and TCCEED hopes to expand the program next summer.
