Internship program brings college students to Kossuth County, Third-year program offers three-month opportunity

By CYNTHIA KANESHIRO
Messenger staff writer

ALGONA — College students are finding out that gaining on-the-job experience can be found in Kossuth County via an internship program offered by the county’s economic development office.

‘‘We are on our third year,’’ said Maureen Elbert, executive director of the county’s Economic Development Corp.

The number of interns vary each year. Last year, 42 students were at different businesses located in the county’s 13 communities.

Some of the interns that have gone through the program have been from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, the University of Nebraska and the University of Kansas.

Interns are recruited via the office’s Web site, where positions available at businesses are posted.

‘‘The students will get into our Web site during their Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter breaks. There are short job descriptions of each opening, a contact person and a phone number,’’ said Elbert.

The jobs range from accounting to marketing, from designing Web pages to installing high-speed Internet connections, from legal assistants to surveying construction sites.

For approximately three months, the students learn valuable on-the-job skills. Some students are assigned projects, such as the ongoing project that compares the cost-of-living in major U.S. cities to communities in Kossuth County.

At the beginning of the internship, the students meet at a breakfast with area business leaders.

‘‘The breakfast is a critical component of the program. CEOs, plant managers are there. Last year, every individual who spoke said that the most important factor to a company is the ability to be a team player,’’ said Elbert.

At the breakfast, the students are given an information packet that includes names, addresses and phone numbers of convenience stores, restaurants, medical and dental offices and clinics to acclimate them to the communities in the county.

The packet also includes telephone numbers for utility services, churches, and banks and credit unions.

To get the word out about the program to students, the economic development office sets up a booth at Iowa State University Career Days.

'‘We bring our program to them. Being at Career Days has been successful for us because we’ve had more and more interest generated in the program,’’ Elbert said.

Kossuth’s economic development office is the only one in the state that offers an internship program.

‘‘We are spearheading efforts to attract and retain young people. We are in the largest county in the state and our slogan, ‘‘Acres of Opportunity,’’ reflects that we have opportunities for them. We have industrial and manufacturing businesses, retail, and one of the finest hospitals in the area,’’ Elbert said.

The economic director pointed out that living in rural Iowa offers opportunities for students in dentistry, medicine or law.

‘‘They have the chance to fill voids when dentists or physicians retire. They also have the opportunity to buy a practice,’’ said Elbert.

Elbert said one business leader told the students that, in five to seven years, a majority of his management level staff will be retiring.‘‘He told the students that he’ll be looking when they are out of college. That was a powerful message to send to them,’’ said Elbert.