A Word From Our Editor

The signs of fall are here. As I write this, inquiries are rolling into Business NH Magazine about internships. And we’re big believers in the value of internships here. I did three internships in college, and the work I performed at them helped me secure a scholarship and my first job at The Caledonian-Record in Vermont.

During my 14 years at BNH, many interns have passed through here with varying results. We’ve taught students how to shake hands without being a dead fish, to wear clothes that don’t flaunt the navel piercing and to forego a day at the beach when a deadline is looming. That’s in addition to teaching interns writing and communication skills.

Let’s face it, if a business handles internships correctly, it requires work. It isn’t about free or inexpensive labor. It’s about helping someone decide on a career path and learn skills that may apply to any line of work they pursue. It is in that vein that Associate Editor Erika Cohen started the Young Reporters Project a year and a half ago. Through the project we partner with journalism professors and students at Southern NH University and Keene State College to provide assignments for our Biz Bits section each month. It’s been such a success we are adding UNH Manchester this year.

Internships also help to keep young talent in NH. That’s why StayWorkPlay NH held a Talent and Internship Summit examining the critical role internships play and how to develop best practices.

Such resources are important as lawsuits have chilled some employers’ enthusiasm for internships. BNH used to have unpaid internships at the magazine, working with students who earned credit for the experience. But our publisher was concerned such a practice excluded talented kids who don’t have the financial means to work for free. While starting to pay interns eliminates legal concerns, it has meant reducing how many interns we can take on. So now we pay interns but reach far fewer students. The Young Reporters Project assuages that dilemma.

Given the high unemployment rates for teens and young adults and the frequently expressed complaints that college graduates are unprepared for the real world, it behooves businesses to consider how internships can ensure that students emerge with work experience. In addition to providing a valuable experience, employers often give their interns a second look. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas reports that one in four employers recruit entry-level workers from the pool of current or former interns. So help us further the discussion about internships by sharing your thoughts, concerns and practices on our social media or as a letter to the editor.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Mowry

Editor