Texas Internship Initiative

The purpose of TII is to identify new Internship opportunities and provide access to work experience to prepare Texas students for employment in targeted Middle Skill STEM Occupations. Services funded by the grants will complement education and training pathways as well as employment services offered throughout the State’s Workforce Solutions Offices. Participating high school and college students will receive educational credit and on-the-job experience, and potentially make progress toward an industry-based Certification in a field related to their education, training course, program, or any combination of the three. Grantees will partner with educational entities and employers to develop and implement work-based Internships. Key features of the TII program include: 1) student acquisition of relevant, work-related experience at the worksite, through which they gain a deeper understanding of regional employment options, and develop critical employment and soft skills required for success; 2) employer engagement in training prospective future job applicants, while developing strategies to cultivate their workforce by attracting new talent, and increasing their visibility to interns who have the potential to become valuable employees; 3) Grantees facilitation of work experiences that address skill shortages in targeted Middle Skill STEM Occupations identified by workforce partners and development of partnerships that promote continuous improvement in the workforce system.