University students intern at area businesses

Students at Southeast Missouri State University gain relevant work experience through summer internships at area businesses. Some are paid for their work, some receive college credits and others receive both.

After graduation, some students return to these businesses as full-time employees.

Many departments at the university have internship programs. The program in the Industrial and Engineering Technology Department in the School of Polytechnic Studies offers students perspective that cannot be provided in a classroom setting, according to internship coordinator Dr. Ragu Athinarayanan.

"The internships that we place our students in are generally paid, and students receive either three or six hours of college credit," said Athinarayanan. "Student interns from our department are typically in high demand. The industries and businesses will ultimately make the decision as to who they will hire based on the prospective student candidates we provide them."

Athinarayanan said that this summer the internship requests from industries and businesses exceeded the supply of available and qualified students in the department.

Businesses that have used Industrial and Engineering Technology Department students include TG Missouri, Good Humor-Breyers, Briggs & Stratton, Fru Con Engineering, American Railcar Industries, Cape Electric, Noranda Aluminum, Raytheon, Anheuser Busch and Kluesner Construction.

Dr. Bert Kellerman, associate dean at Harrison College of Business and a professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, said the internship program been around a long time, "but we started pushing it good about 10 years ago. We place interns in the same places as the Polytechnic people do."

Kellerman said interns have worked at Westfield Shoppingtown Mall, Old Town Cape, local television and radio stations, the local newspaper and for nonprofit organizations such as the United Way of Southeast Missouri and the American Red Cross.

"Companies often contact us and inquire, and we try to match students with the jobs. Also, students will come up with contacts on their own."

Kellerman said students are usually paid for their work, and they are typically given three hours of college credit. He said about 25 students in the Department of Management and Marketing are working summer jobs.

Robert Chronister, production manager at KBSI-TV Fox 23 in Cape Girardeau, said he is a big believer in the internship program.

"I was an intern here 10 years ago. I worked in the promotions department and then hired on full-time while still going to SEMO," said Chronister. "We have an intern here now from SEMO working in production.

"We try to give them the support and training we would give a new employee. They work on commercials and work with our producers. We had two interns last summer and have at least one almost every summer."

Christy Benton, business manager at Mississippi River Radio in Cape Girardeau, said the station uses interns from Southeast and other universities.

"We look for mass communications people," said Benton. "They get a lot of hands-on experience. Some help write commercials, some do a shift on the air, others work with sales people and even go on sales calls with our people."

Benton said sales interns also work in the business office and put together packets and do filing. She said several interns from Southeast are currently working at the station doing remote broadcasts.

"We have had interns who finished school and came back to work full-time," said Benton. "An internship is like a long interview."

Three Southeast interns are currently working at Good Humor-Breyers in Sikeston. A maker of ice cream novelties, the company is a major employer in the region.

Human Resources supervisor Jim Duncan said one intern is working in a quality control department, one is working in a mix room and the third is in the production department.

"The interns here pretty much work the same hours as our full-time employees," said Duncan. "We try to accommodate their hours if school is an issue." Duncan said former interns often return to seek full-time employment with the company. He said they are assessed on the job to see if their skills fit the company's need, and some have been hired in supervisory positions.