Welcoming our P-Tech interns
by Alexis Pollitto
I remember the first day of my first corporate internship experience. It was the Tuesday after Memorial Day in 2016 and I arrived at least 40 minutes prior to my expected arrival time. Before me stood a tall, industrial-looking office building that I would call home for the next three months. I waited on a bench outside in the blazing heat of Charlotte, North Carolina so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself by arriving too early, which was a mistake because I still embarrassed myself by showing up a little sweaty. I was a rising Junior in college both anxious and excited for the opportunity that lay ahead!
Although I was a bit older and I was lucky to have my first day in person, I can relate to how the IBM P-TECH High School Summer Interns must be feeling as their first day quickly approaches in June or July. This year, IBM GBS will welcome P-TECH High School interns for a 6-week virtual internship experience. Throughout this experience, the interns are aligned to different parts of IBM’s business and will be working with an IBM Team Leader on a business challenge. As one of the Team Leaders for GBS, I’m excited to see the thought-provoking ideas that the students come up with!
As my cohort’s start date approaches in July, I’m feeling very grateful for the opportunity to work with these inspiring students. As someone who is most passionate about workforce development, the P-TECH model is empowering because it works. Since its inception to address the global “skills gap” and provide underserved youth with an innovative education opportunity, P-TECH students have been 5 times more likely to graduate on-time than the national graduation rate for low-income students. This particular internship opportunity for P-TECH students was born out of Arvind’s commitment to deliver 1,000 “earn and learn” opportunities annually for P-TECH students and graduates. I look forward to seeing how P-TECH grows and expands over the years!
To our incoming P-TECH interns, welcome to IBM! We are so excited that you’re here. Make the most of this experience and remember that you should always bring your full self to work (even if that means being a little sweaty on your first day).
