ROANOKE, Va. – Many college students and recent graduates are spending the summer at employers across Virginia, gaining some real-life skills and experience. The City of Roanoke is once again one of the best places in the commonwealth to do so, according to one group.
It’s the third year in a row the city has won a Top Employers for Interns Award from the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). It celebrates employers who provide “high-quality” internships to college students, with attributes like exposing interns to senior leaders and mentorship programs.
The city’s Human Resources Manager, John Sanders, said the city’s repeated success could help attract the best candidates for the internship slots.
“I would think it probably helps, I would think they know when they come here, they’re getting real work and getting good experience in a job,” Sanders told 10 News.
The latest class started June 2. Thirteen interns will work in city departments ranging from police to storm water to human resources.
“We get to evaluate the students and give them a taste of what working for public service is like and we’ve been lucky enough over the years to hire some of these interns into full-time jobs once they complete their degree,” Sanders said.
Among the other employers who made the list were the City of Danville, Carillon Clinic and the Montgomery County Department of Social Services.
V-TOP will host an event in Richmond on July 31 to celebrate Virginia Intern Day.