Summer jobs? MUSD offering paid summer internships

By MELISSA VALLE 
The Tower

The Manteca Unified School District is offering paid summer internships for its students. 

This is a program the district has been offering for years, but for the last few summers, it’s grown into a large-scale, multi-faceted operation.  

Students who take part in the internships learn much more than how to just perform a job. They learn how to become responsible and well-rounded young adults. The internships were designed to prepare students for their futures; to get ready for the competitive work world they will be coming in contact with soon.  

There’s a wide variety of job opportunities for the students, including: College and Career Readiness, Community Outreach, Custodial Services, Information Technology, Facilities and Operations, Innovation and Improvement, Nutritional Education and Warehouse, Student Services, and Teaching and Learning. 

“What I hope students get out of it is that they have an understanding of where you put in the work you learn different skills,” said Amanda Peters, Director of Career and College Readiness. “

“Working with other people, how to communicate clearly, how to be accountable for yourself, you know, waking up early, setting that alarm, getting to where you need to go, initiative, being assigned a task or project and completely the things to get there. So much of that applies the ‘the real world,’ but also the schoolwork.”

Although the internships act as a real job, they’re more flexible than most jobs.

“The departments will say that they need students five days a week for four, six, eight hours a day or they need an intern four hours a day. Over the summer, we have different projects we need to get done and that might vary from year to year, so there’s really no set consistent hours of assigned days of work,” Peters said. “Departments that request an intern over the summer get to build their own schedule, both the days and hours, but that’s really good from the intern perspective. If you know you’re going to go on vacation, or you have to watch little brother or sister, or have another job outside of Manteca Unified, you can kind of pick and choose what position will be best for you.” 

Internships last four to six weeks and begin June 5. Orientation is scheduled for June 2. There’s a chance to participate in internships longer than the six weeks. 

Requirements for summer internships are simple. Students need to pass the Human Resources background check and have a letter of recommendation from a teacher. The district is making it as easy as can be for the students to apply. 

“The whole goal of the internship program, and part of my role and position, is getting students ready for college and career. Putting students in a position that when they graduate, move that tassel, that they’re ready to do whatever’s next. Whether that’s enlist, get a job, or continue in education,” Peters said. “Our internship program provides students with an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for students to step into the world of work, in a safe environment with people they know, in a system they know in their community.

The deadline to apply for a summer internship is March 10 at 4 p.m.

To apply, students will need a resume and letter of recommendation by a teacher to be submitted onto EdJoin.org. Interviews should begin in early April.