Helping Loudoun Students Find Loudoun Internships
The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development has created a web portal on InternMatch.Com to help Loudoun companies find qualified candidates for internship positions. Businesses are invited to post their internships at no cost on Loudoun’s portal; the link can be found at www.biz.loudoun.gov/InternMatchBusiness.
“Loudoun County has one of the most highly skilled workforces in the nation. We developed this portal to help make sure Loudoun companies have a robust talent pool to draw from into the future,” says Tom Flynn, director of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development.
With Loudoun’s unemployment rate near four percent, competition for skilled labor is significant. Internships allow companies to benefit from what can be seen as “extended interviews” that show whether potential job candidates are a good fit. In this way, internships can help reduce turnover, which increases productivity and profitability.
Offering internships can be particularly profitable for small businesses.
“About 86 percent of Loudoun companies have fewer than 20 employees. It can be harder for small businesses to compete for employees, because they don’t have the resources of larger companies,” says Small Business and Entrepreneurship Manager Debi Roder. “Having a robust internship program allows small businesses to develop their own talent at less cost.”
The benefit to students of working for small businesses is that there is often a better chance of being given meaningful responsibility that develops expertise and contributes to an organization’s mission. This type of real-world experience helps make students more employable after graduation.
“For students, the Loudoun InternMatch portal provides an easy way to access internships at top-rated companies, tech startups and small businesses that are hiring now,” Flynn says.
There is no cost to students for using Loudoun’s InternMatch portal, which is linked to from www.biz.loudoun.gov/Internships.
Loudoun businesses that are interested in launching an internship program can find free guides at www.internmatch.com.