The City of Fayetteville is partnering with Cumberland County Schools to support and help fund a program that encourages students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The mission of Career and Technical Education is to help empower students for effective participation in a global economy as world-class workers and citizens. “This year we would like to hire between 30 and 40 student interns with an investment of $50,000,” said City Councilman Kirk deViere. That would build on the initial project this past year that saw 16 students spend time working alongside city staff as paid interns.

Career and technical education provides students the opportunity to participate in actual work-based programs. Students will learn the relevance of their education and apply acquired knowledge in a meaningful way through exposure to the real workplace, in this case, municipal government. The program will last between four and six weeks, from June 19 to July 28. 

Student opportunities for internships include:

Agricultural Education, which provides students an integrated educational model that focuses them on careers in food, fiber and environmental systems.

Business and Information Technology Education, which is a program designed to integrate business and information technology skills into the middle and high school curriculum.

Career Development Education, which involves students, parents, teachers, counselors and the community. The goal is to help students make good decisions about themselves and their futures.

Family and Consumer Sciences Education, which prepares students for careers working with individuals and families. The concept of work, whether in a family or career, is central to the program area.

Health Science Education program, which seeks to meet the needs of health care workers. The program recruits and prepares qualified and motivated students for appropriate health careers.

Marketing Education, which prepares students for careers in marketing and management. It encompasses activities within production, as well as aspects of consumption.

Technology Education, which helps students develop an appreciation for and understanding of technology through the study and application of materials, tools, processes, inventions, structures and artifacts of the past and present.

Trade and Industrial Education, which is a secondary program that provides students the opportunity to advance in a wide range of trade and industrial occupations.

Cumberland County Schools staff will collect weekly time sheets of participating students, deposit monies earned into participants’ accounts, keep detailed records of total hours/amounts paid and provide the City of Fayetteville and other partners with documentation of the recorded hours and wages. “The City of Fayetteville provides a professional contact person to serve as a liaison between the school system and the city, and to assist as needed,” said Council Member Larry Wright.

The City will also be working directly with PWC to provide additional funding. Recruitment of additional businesses to support the jobs would come through Chamber of Commerce and partnerships with the County and Cape Fear Valley Hospital as well as PWC. Job partners would share 50% of the cost of the interns.