Cart(INDIANAPOLIS) -- Indiana INTERNnet is marking its 10th anniversary with its users in mind. The free internship-matching program, managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, just launched a new web site, www.indianaintern.net, with enhanced searching, matching and tracking features for employers and students.
"We wanted to make the site more user friendly, to bring the technology up to current standards, to add additional search functionality and to make it easier for employers and students to connect," explains Indiana INTERNnet Executive Director Janet Boston.
Students can save searches, access a list of internships they applied for and initiate new searches by industry, keyword or category. New fields allow them to see if an internship is full or part time and paid or unpaid. Internships for both college and high school students can be found through the program.
Employers can search for traditional interns, as well as those seeking project-based, short-term or virtual assignments. In the near future, more tools will be added to allow for automatic matches based on employer needs.
Currently, there are over 4,000 employers registered on Indiana INTERNnet with more than 750 available internships posted.
Each year, thousands of students look for spring, summer and fall internships so they can apply what they've learned in the classroom to a real work experience. Internships also enable students to investigate firsthand their avenues of career interest.
Meanwhile, interns bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the workplace, with the ability to complete a company's projects. An internship program is also a valuable recruitment tool for employers.
Boston, who joined Indiana INTERNnet in February, emphasizes: "The overall goal has been and continues to be helping to retain the state's talent. I'm excited about the changes occurring and to be able to have an impact on the future of the program."
Indiana INTERNnet was formed in 2001, shortly after a series of Indiana Chamber-Higher Education Commission studies that clearly demonstrated the state's "brain-drain" problem. The program is funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
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The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is the state's largest broad-based business advocacy and information organization, representing nearly 5,000 member companies that employ 800,000 Hoosier workers.
