ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Eight college students with disabilities at Winthrop University are part of an inaugural group receiving access to federal and private sector internship and job opportunities.
This is the first year for Winthrop’s participation in the Workforce Recruitment Program which connects federal and select private-sector employers nationwide with college students, graduate students and recent graduates with disabilities. The program is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Michael Szeman, Winthrop’s associate director for employer engagement and internships with the Center for Career Development and Internships (CDI), called the program an exciting new collaboration within the Division of Student Affairs. Students were informed about the program by Shardae R. Nelson-Johnson, director of the Office of Accessibility, and through the office’s newsletter, which is distributed via Handshake, Winthrop’s career platform for students and alumni.
Candidates apply to the program each fall through participating colleges and universities managed by a school coordinator and can receive elective informational interviews with federal employees who serve as volunteer recruiters. Szeman said candidates represent all majors and range from college freshmen to graduate- and law-school students. Information from candidates seeking employment is compiled in a searchable database that is available to employers.
The Winthrop students in this first group come from different colleges. Three are social work majors (one is seeking a bachelor’s degree and the other two a master’s degree), while the other five are an English, psychology, mass communication, data analytics and an undeclared major.
Opportunities include paid internships and permanent positions, depending on the employer’s needs and the student’s interests and job preferences.
The program, which involves Winthrop’s Office of Accessibility, is closely aligned with Winthrop’s career readiness initiative called Flight Ready.
The Workforce Recruitment Program is an annual opportunity with applications available each fall.
For more information, contact Szeman at szemanm@winthrop.edu or Nelson-Johnson at nelsons@winthrop.edu.
