Developers+

During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Obama stated that higher education should be viewed as an economic imperative and urged Congress to provide community colleges with the resources they need to become “community career centers.”  Community colleges serve as a career gateway for many Americans, and with an estimated 62% of all jobs in the US requiring at least a two-year degree by 2018, postsecondary education is becoming a prerequisite for economic success. Obtaining a college degree, however, no longer guarantees employment. With the unemployment rate hovering around 18%-20%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American youth aged 16-24 are struggling to find jobs. More and more employers say real-world experience is the key to getting a job. 90% of new hires will have had work-related experiences prior to enter­ing the workforce. And, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 7 out of 10 internships turn into full-time jobs. It’s evident that in today’s increasingly competitive global economy, students must take advantage of every opportunity to enhance their skills and marketability in order to ensure successful entry into the job market. Earlier this month, the White House announced the Summer Jobs+ 2012 program, a partnership between the federal government and the private sector that aims to provide meaningful summer job opportunities to youth aged 16-24 in the summer of 2012. As part of this initiative, the Administration will launch the Summer Jobs+ Bank, an online search tool that will help connect youth around the country with great opportunities for the summer of 2012.  Internships.com, a Blackboard Premier Partner working alongside Google, will provide technical support for this search tool. As the world’s largest marketplace for student internships, part-time jobs and entry-level positions, Internships.com plans to populate the job bank with 50,000+ internships in its database and will enable any company to post their summer internships on Internships.com at no cost. Dedicated to helping young people become productive citizens and connect to greater opportunities, Internships.com partnered with Blackboard in 2011 to provide an integrated career-oriented experience directly within the Blackboard Learn platform. The free Internships.com Building Block built by Blackboard allows students to access Internships.com’s vast inventory of internships, and to take advantage of their social network to find a job via a Facebook integration―all within their Blackboard Learn course environment. Check Internships.com out today and see how you can begin to open up career opportunities for students.