New One Up Internship Program Accepting Applications for Paid Intern Participants

Current college students and recent graduates in Eastern Kentucky have the opportunity to land an exciting, paid internship in their career field of choice with the new One Up initiative from Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), Inc.

One Up is an innovative initiative that combines the needs of area employers and career interests of students and recent graduates to develop real-world learning opportunities that could also transition to full-time employment.

“We’re extremely excited to offer our One Up program within the EKCEP service area,” said Michael Cornett, deputy director for employer engagement and program operations. “One Up is an excellent way to provide opportunities for college students and individuals who have recently earned a college degree or certificate to get a foot in the door in the career fields that interest them most.”

One Up officially launched in summer 2021 and has already proven beneficial for a number of Eastern Kentuckians as they take their first steps onto a viable career path. Perry Countian Gabrielle Fugate recently transitioned from a One Up internship with Appalachian Regional Healthcare to a full-time position in the company’s human resources department, and credits the program with helping her decide what career she wants to pursue.

“It’s not only a great opportunity, but for me, someone who doesn’t know what they’re going to do in life, this really showed me what I’m interested in, what I wanted my career to be, and I got to get that experience and get paid for it,” she said. “That was really phenomenal.”

One Up is a partnership between EKCEP and local companies operating within industries ranging from healthcare to manufacturing. EKCEP provides funding to ensure interns are paid for their time, and employers both provide invaluable on-the-job experience and boost their workforces during the course of the internship.

“One Up is structured to ensure that we’re working with our employer partners to provide the best possible experience for interns, and that they’re gaining meaningful work experience,” Cornett added. “College students, and sometimes even folks who have recently graduated or earned a new certification, don’t always have ways to get into a new job. One Up provides that synergy between service provider, employer, and intern to provide opportunity to earn a wage while learning about a new trade, and hopefully transition to employment.”

EKCEP is currently looking to fill several openings for internships within its 23-county service area. Individuals eligible to be considered for a One Up internship should be currently enrolled in a college or university degree or training program, or have graduated from a program within the last 12 months. Applicants must also meet other eligibility requirements under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

To view current opportunities and apply, visit ekcep.org/oneupopportunities. Once an application is submitted, EKCEP staff will contact you to discuss next steps and determine eligibility.

To learn more about One Up, visit ekcep.org/one-up.

EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for jobseekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org, http://www.jobsight.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.