The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) plans to use a paid college internship program to further develop the state’s IT talent pipeline.
The new technology internship program will allow undergraduate and graduate students attending the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to gain on-the-job experience.
According to a press release, the program will be administered by ITS in partnership with SUNY and CUNY. ITS explained that the Internship Engagement Program will help prepare undergraduate students for public and private sector careers, enhance the quality of the workforce, and create a tech employee pipeline for the state and other entities.
“This internship engagement program will be a life-changing resource for students across the state as they become a part of the tech workforce after graduation. These students will make up New York’s future – and they deserve every opportunity to pursue paths that will lead them to successful and fulfilling careers,” said ITS CIO Tony Riddick.
The semester-length internship is open to students in their final year of study and is focused on enabling them to gain marketable skills, industry certifications, and hands-on experience. Students will be paid $21 an hour, and internships are available in the Albany and New York City areas. ITS said it plans to introduce the program at other schools in the Fall 2023 semester.
ITS noted that more than 80 percent of CUNY and SUNY graduates remain in New York after earning their degrees. ITS said this results in a “significant return on investment for the state and local communities.” ITS added that the internship program will “produce a new generation of employees poised for sustainable, well-paying jobs, and supporting the growth of the state’s future tech workforce.”
“New York’s internship engagement program sets SUNY students on a path towards success by enabling them to have hands-on experience in the competitive and growing technology industry,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “Students are able to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios, making them both better prepared to enter the workforce and more marketable in their respective fields. Opening the program to those in their last year of study will help more students be better positioned to hit the ground running professionally upon graduation.”
