With summer comes a valuable opportunity for employers to tap into up-and-coming talent to accomplish real, meaningful work while investing into the workforce Houston will need to ensure it retains its competitive 21st-century economy: The paid internship.  Meaningful internships can empower an entire generation while building toward a more prosperous future by giving students and young adults an opportunity to ‘window-shop’ for careers in a variety of industries and settings and recognize career pathways, to learn workforce behaviors, and understand how their coursework applies in a business setting.  Since 2016, the City of Houston has helped employers access a diverse spectrum of more than 26,000 young, talented Houstonians aged 16 through 24 through its Hire Houston Youth program. The program has also facilitated job readiness training for over 35,000 youth and adults. This summer, the City is asking employers to provide 16,000 summer internship, job, and apprenticeship opportunities. Program details: Internships should last at least eight weeks (June 13 and Aug. 5, 2022) Internships should pay at least $10 per hour; the average pay in 2021 was $15 per hour Employers without openings can sponsor an intern or register and join the Hire Houston Youth community Additionally, the City is hosting a job and resource fair on June 11, 2022, at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center. The fair is open to employers from across the entire region and jobseekers of all ages.   See more details and add your openings for the Hire Houston Youth program here. Register for the June 11 job and resource fair here.

Houston Community College recently announced it will open the “Resiliency Center of Excellence” to strengthen the city’s disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. In the past six years, the Houston region has experienced several challenges, including major flood disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 winter storm. These disasters are the reasons why leadership at HCC say the new resiliency center is critical to our community. “Our objective is to protect the well-being of our citizens and our communities and increase economic stability,” HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado said during the March 26 announcement. The center will include the Resiliency Operations Center (ROC), which the college system describes as a “one-of-a-kind complex” to train first responders for catastrophic events by simulating real-world environments and using virtual simulations. It will also provide training for workers in the High-Line and Petrochemical industries. The 65,000 sq. ft. complex will be built on the HCC Northeast campus. The center will also provide resources for residents and corporate and small business managers. HCC estimates it will train 3,000 responders annually in the first three years of operations.  “Our vision for HCC’s ROC is bold. It will redefine what it means to be prepared in our region,” said Maldonado. According to HCC, the center will allow more first responders to be trained more frequently because the current training model requires responders to travel out of state for at least five business days. The Resiliency Center of Excellence will include a curriculum focused on building a resilient workforce. The program will include 20-hour non-credit courses in public safety and rescue, disaster case management, medical triage and more starting this fall.  HCC’s initiative complements the City of Houston’s Resilient Houston, a comprehensive strategy to protect Houston against future disasters.