BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — A new pilot program means internships for Blythewood high school students. It's a STEM-related opportunity in partnership with South Carolina Water Utilities.
Students involved are gearing up for the future.
Especially for the kids that want to get into wastewater industries or want to get a taste of engineering. This helps a lot because it shows you a day in the life of an engineer that works here," intern Lance Bosier said.
Three interns started this spring and will wrap up next week.
"We feel responsible to really reach out and connect with the next generation of leaders in our field and so it was a natural fit for us to reach out into our service territory and partner with the folks at Blythewood high school and develop this program. This is really our first shot at it. This is our pilot program," said SC Water Utilities president Craig Sorensen.
Students have been sampling water, keeping records, learning about hydraulics and the water treatment process. They had to submit an essay application to qualify.
Both high school credit towards graduation and pay between $10 and $15 an hour is up for grabs.
Blythewood High School was the guinea pig, so to speak, because of their academics and trade skill offerings.
"Some of the things that we grade the students on is their work attire, being on time for work, what did they learn. So at the end of the week we have check-ins, where as they are able to tell us what they learned," Bridgette Frederick, HR manager said.
These students also have the opportunity to extend the program into the summer and or apply for a job with the company.
The idea is if this goes well, it'll be implemented in other Midlands high schools
If you're interested in future internship sessions, you can reach out to your school district's work based coordinator.