STEM majors to network with local employers at Employability Forum

Selected STEM majors at Amarillo College will have a chance to enhance their prospects for summer internships when they network with a number of local employers at AC’s inaugural Employability Forum.

The event, which is being piloted under the auspices of the College’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) STEM Grant, will transpire from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, March 1 at AC’s Innovation Outpost, 1220 S. Polk St.

STEM majors who applied to participate in the forum will engage with representatives from about two dozen local employers in activities ranging from mock interviews to resume critiques. Following the forum, the College will host an employer luncheon during which information will be shared about work-based learning initiatives at AC.

Additionally, a panel discussion will be presented featuring employers, students, and faculty who have participated in some of AC’s successful work-based learning initiatives. Denese Skinner, interim president of AC, will open the luncheon; while Dr. Linda Munoz, dean of employer engagement and experiential learning, will provide closing remarks.

Participating local employers include: Provenance Consulting, Brushwood Acre Farms, Phillips 66, Xcel Energy, City of Amarillo, Forte Structural Engineering, Shiver Megert & Associates, Altura Engineering, BSA Hospital, Northwest Hospital, AMA TechTel, Attebury Grain, Affiliated Foods, Atmos, Bell Helicopter, Apollo Med Flight, USDA, FMC Health, Region 16, AOMS – Full Smile Orthodontics, Scotts Seeds, Coffee Memorial, Lata, Cactus Feeders Associates, Education Credit Union, Amarillo Gear, and Bank of Commerce.

“This pilot event will allow STEM students and employers to network while students gain valuable skills for the job interview process,” said Holly Hofmann, director of the HSI Stem Grant at AC. “In addition to sponsoring the Employability Forum, AC’s HSI STEM Grant also is piloting a summer internship program in collaboration with local employers.

“All STEM students at the College will have the opportunity to interview for these summer internships, which will be in a wide variety of STEM fields,” she said. “The selected students will receive 8-week, paid summer internships.”

For more information about the Employability Forum at AC’s Innovation Outpost, please contact Holly Hofmann at 806-371-5974.