In collaboration with partners and funders, Public Education Foundation announced Wednesday the launch of STEP-UP Chattanooga, a robust internship program for high school juniors and seniors in Hamilton County public schools designed to address the challenges faced by both businesses and students in a complex, changing global economy.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc. has committed $300,000 and Benwood Foundation is contributing $200,000 for the first two years of the program which serves underrepresented students from low-income backgrounds, those most at risk for joblessness and lack of higher education.
STEP-UP Chattanooga will recruit local high school students and provide work readiness training designed to help them be successful in interviews and professional settings.
Subsequently, 75 students will be hired by area businesses, nonprofit agencies, and public institutions where they will complete meaningful assignments over the summer of 2016. Throughout the experience, students will receive support and feedback from STEP-UP staff and supervisors at their place of employment.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Calvin Anderson stated, “Connecting young people to the world of work and responsibility prepares them for a place in the future workforce and sharpens their focus in current academic pursuits.”
Research from the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce indicates there are currently 15,000 jobs that cannot be filled by Hamilton County residents based on educational requirements. Additionally, the Harvard Graduate School of Education found that a major reason students fail to complete a two- or four-year college program is that “too many can’t see a clear, transparent connection between their program of study and tangible opportunities in the labor market.”
Sarah Morgan, Benwood Foundation president said, “STEP-UP Chattanooga will provide extraordinary opportunities to hundreds of young people; it meets the needs of our students and our businesses. STEP-UP Chattanooga aligns perfectly with the vision and goals of the Chattanooga 2.0 initiative, and Benwood Foundation is extremely pleased to provide support.”
Organizations hosting STEP-UP interns will build relationships with a pool of talented, diverse future employees while filling job vacancies and demonstrating a commitment to improving the lives of at-risk youth. Students will have opportunities to explore careers while developing work skills, as well as to network with adult professionals who can help them achieve educational and professional goals.
STEP-UP Chattanooga is modeled on the nationally-recognized STEP-UP Minneapolis program, which has served over 20,000 students since 2004. 96% of STEP-UP Minneapolis supervisors reported that interns made a valuable contribution to the workplace and the program was a success at their companies.
Speaking about a recent visit to meet with program officials, PEF President Dan Challener said, “In Minneapolis, thousands of students have benefited from internships in large and small companies, thanks to that city’s STEP-UP program. Thousands of those students have subsequently been hired by Minneapolis businesses – giving those businesses well trained, local talent and providing those students with life-changing employment. This is exactly what we want to do in our community, and Public Education Foundation is delighted to join with many community partners to make this powerful vision a reality.”
Hamilton County and Chattanooga City government have both joined as partners. Mayor Jim Coppinger said, “Given the success that we’ve had recruiting businesses to Hamilton County, I’m delighted to partner with STEP UP Chattanooga to help our young people prepare for those jobs.”
STEP-UP Chattanooga complements PEF’s other College Access & Success initiatives, including Camp College, Passport Scholars, support for Hamilton County’s College Access & Career Advisers, and community education.
PEF VP of College & Career Success Stacy Lightfoot, who is helping lead the initiative said, “STEP-UP Chattanooga is a great opportunity for students to expand their professional networks. We are developing internships that combine coursework with hands-on experience.”
For more information on applying for internships or becoming a business partner, visit
stepupchattanooga.org.