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Millersville University (MU) is giving students an opportunity to receive on-the-job training through the new Workforce Traineeship Program. Funded through a grant from Lancaster County Community Foundation’s BB&T Economic Growth Fund, the program began with a cohort of 10 trainees in Fall 2017.
The program requires that students serve 100 hours during the semester enrolled. For their service, students receive an award of $1,155. Students also receive the benefit of mentoring provided by experienced professionals from SCORE-Lancaster Lebanon.
The purpose of the program is to develop a pipeline of students participating in professional skill building and work-site experiences, which also helps Lancaster County-based employers find and retain skilled employees.
“This program is unique because, in addition to participating in project-based work experiences, students also receive the benefit of professional mentoring, as well as face to face and online training programs on the development of the professional ‘soft-skills’ that are sought by employers,” said Audrey Bare, Student Traineeship Program Coordinator at MU. “Employer hosts also receive training from SCORE so that they are well-prepared to offer high-quality, positive work experiences for students.”
The traineeship program reaches across numerous fields with over 65 opportunities for students, including experiences in marketing, human resources, communications and many others. Some of the employers involved with the program include the Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster, Cargas Systems, Donegal Insurance, Fulton Financial Corporation, Keystone Custom Homes, Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the YMCA of Lancaster.
“While the students develop professional skills and gain an understanding of real-world work scenarios, our members are exposed to positive, committed, young adult role models – the program really is a win-win,” said Mary Reidy, Program and Partnership Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster.
Since Fall 2017, the program has grown to 20-25 students participating per semester, with 75 students serving by the end of 2018. Over 50 organizations have participated in the program as well, all of which receive training from SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon to make sure the transition for students into new work environments is as smooth as possible.
For more information on the program please contact Audrey Bare in Experiential Learning and Career Management. Bare can be reached at Audrey.Bare@millersville.edu.
