North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is providing School of Business students a head start on finding employment after graduation by connecting them with internship opportunities at companies in the Research Triangle area and other major organizations.
The university has worked to expand summer internship opportunities for business students at Fortune 500 companies in the Triangle’s prominent high-tech research and development area, university officials said.
“I can’t imagine a better preparatory exercise than having real-world corporate experience under their belt prior to graduation,” said Dr. Carlton Wilson, interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.
National statistics indicate top corporations increasingly are hiring their top-performing interns after graduation. The 2017 National Association of Colleges and Employers report shows that approximately 67 percent of interns are offered permanent posts after graduation.
For the 2018 summer session, NCCU’s School of Business has placed students in several prestigious internships at nearby companies, including two at computer information systems leader Cisco. Senior computer information science (CIS) majors Samson Ayola and Ahmed Melegy were selected to join the summer cohort of interns at the networking company.
“NCCU’s School of Business recognizes in today’s market, many organizations use internship experiences to identify top talent for future employment opportunities. Through internships, students are exposed to professional work environments and are able to hone their skills,” said Wanda Lester, Ph.D., interim dean of NCCU School of Business. “I am very excited to see more of our students seizing these opportunities, whether with a company or in many of the non-profit or governmental sectors that serve our state.”
Thomas Gaines, also a senior majoring in CIS, will devote his summer break to gaining knowledge and a competitive by interning at Dell Inc.
CIS major Shawn Newton has signed on to spend his summer as a technical intern at SAS, where he will work on web services that enable and provide automation services, while Lyndon Bowden will spend his summer at Eli Lilly sharpening his tactical knowledge of computer information systems.
NCCU’s ongoing relationship with and proximity to Research Triangle Park companies is paying off for many students, university officials added.
“NCCU is eternally grateful for the many businesses and corporations – from Cisco, Lenovo to Northwestern Mutual and many others – who have reached out to assist our young scholars in developing skills through on-the-job training and internships,” Wilson said.
NCCU’s Office of Career Services and Outreach also has been involved in intern placement for 2018. In partnership with the University of North Carolina System, the office has placed six students in the North Carolina Governor’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Internship Program.
“Experiential learning is essential to the professional development of students, as it enables them to compete in the global market, said Shannon Morgan Keith, assistant director of experiential learning at NCCU. “We are confident that these organizations will provide opportunities for students to translate what they’ve learned in the classroom into real-world experiences.”
NCCU students participating in the N.C. Governor’s HBCU program are:
Drake Dais, a junior majoring in business administration, and Jimia Ford, a senior business administration major, who will enhance their talents at Lenovo.
Kelvon Keith, a senior business administration major, and junior business administration majors Derek Manison and John Slaton will gain needed financial skills by working for Durham-based North Carolina Mutual.
Evan Jeffers, a junior business administration major, is joining the NC Governor’s Internship Program for a second year. After his successful internship with Growth Management Services in 2017, he will be spending his internship with Northwestern Mutual in 2018.
“These types of experiences are beneficial to students and will become invaluable as they leave college and join the workforce,” Wilson added.
