VSGC INTERNSHIP OFFERED TO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS

College science and engineering students who are from Virginia or who attend a state institution will have a much easier time applying for 2007 summer internship employment in southeastern Virginia thanks to a new resource offered by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and the Hampton Roads Technology Council (HRTC).

By filing one online application, these students can be considered for jobs at numerous Hampton Roads employers, including Lockheed Martin, Analytical Mechanics Associates, WR Systems, E&E Enterprises Global, Maersk Line Ltd., and Mombaur International Consulting Solutions.

VSGC, which is administered by Old Dominion University, has coordinated internship placements for 1,200 students in recent years, some of them for member agencies such as NASA and Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology. Other VSGC members include the College of William and Mary, Hampton University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, the Virginia Community College System, Virginia Air and Space Center and the Science Museum of Virginia.

The new program for Hampton Roads employers is open to full-time undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics with a grade point average of 2.7 or higher. Applicants must attend a Virginia college or university or be a Virginia resident attending an out-of-state institution.

VSGC will pre-screen applications for eligibility before placing them in a database for employers. The participating companies have agreed to 10-12-week employment periods and wage scales between $10 and $14 per hour. The deadline for applications is Feb. 19.

Mary Sandy, director of VSGC, said the "steadily increasing demand for skilled technology workers in Virginia requires an effective pathway that offers undergraduates an opportunity for work experience."

For more information, or to submit an application, go to http://www.vsgc.odu.edu/hr-set. Companies wishing to participate should contact Nick Koltun at the VSGC at 757-766-5210 or nkoltun@odu.edu.