As warm weather arrives, we begin to see faces of college students reappearing in our area. These students will work at local businesses and contribute to our community for the next three months while they’re home.

Whether it’s a part-time job at a local restaurant or an internship at a business that coincides with their college major, students gain skills and experience they can take throughout their careers while working at summer jobs.

Think about a job or internship you had as a student—what did you gain from it? We spoke with a couple FLEX members who shared how these opportunities have led to success in their current careers:

“Working in my community during summer break helped me build relationships and expand my network,” said Rachel Stiller, Inventory Accountant at Borchers Americas, Inc. “It gave me hands on experience, which helped me in my studies and gave me confidence in applying for jobs. I was also able to learn about myself and what type of career I would enjoy after college. Because of my summer job opportunities, I have a great foundation to my career.”

“If you show your passion and dedication to work, especially as an intern, it highlights your commitment to an organization, which can reap benefits for you now and in the future,” said Alan McBride, Global Talent Manager at Komatsu Mining Corp. “I still believe my first internship helped me get to where I am today in my professional career in building my confidence and being in control of my own development.”

Each year, FLEX reaches out to students and invites them to events, including the Summer Kick-Off in June and the Student Appreciation Luncheon in August.

The Summer Kick-Off is a way for students and young professionals to get to know each other while having fun outdoors, and the Student Appreciation Luncheon is an opportunity for us to thank these students for working in our area for the summer, as we send them off to their fall semester.

We invite all local young professionals and students to join us on Saturday, June 9, for our 2018 Summer Kick-Off, where we’ll enjoy brunch at OARS (located at 250 Elk Street in Franklin), then kayak down the beautiful Allegheny River.

We have a limited number of kayaks available, so please RSVP as soon as possible if you plan to attend by visiting bit.ly/FLEXSummerKickOff.

This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s June 2018 edition of the VenangoWorks! Newsletter.