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Region 2 Internship Collaborative

Region 2 Internship Collaborative

The Region 2 Internship Collaborative bridges the gap between secondary and higher education institutions, their students, and businesses, providing work-based learning opportunities in the New River Valley, the Roanoke-Alleghany region, and the greater Lynchburg region.

Students engaged in workbased learning.

165,613 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students enrolled at colleges and universities in GO Virginia Region 2.
Source: SCHEV Early Enrollment Estimates, Fall 2021
70 % of employers want college graduates to have relevant work-based learning experiences.
Source: NACE
47 % of students take advantage of work-based learning opportunities. Let's change that!
Source: SCHEV Virginia Educated Survey Results, Fall 2021

With support from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the collaborative connects employers to students and facilitates the readiness of employers, students, and institutions to significantly increase the number of high-quality paid internships and other work-based learning opportunities.

There is no substitute for experience. Internships, cooperative experiences, apprenticeships, clinicals, and other work-based learning are an opportunity to train, develop, and attract new talent. Focusing on work-based learning produces a talented workforce with the skills needed to fill in-demand jobs across GO Virginia Region 2. 

We want to partner with regional businesses to expand high-quality work-based learning opportunities, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of young professionals who choose to live and work in the region after they graduate. 

Students are eager to put their knowledge and skills into practice and gain real-world knowledge that will translate into a job after graduation. Education institutions are the catalysts that bring together businesses and students for high-quality work-based learning experiences. 

We want to partner with schools, colleges, and universities to build a stronger network across GO Virginia Region 2, with the goal of increasing awareness and access to work-based learning opportunities at regional businesses for our students. 

Attracting and retaining skilled workers is a critical challenge across Virginia. Within GO Virginia Region 2, it is a priority to strengthen regional coordination to address this challenge. 

We want to partner with talent and workforce stakeholders to increase communication and collaboration between workforce entities, regional industry, and educational institutions, with the goal of increasing the talent pipeline for critical higher-wage occupations through work-based learning. 

Featured Resources

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Virginia Talent and Opportunity Partnership Logo
Virginia TOP’s Virginia Employer Readiness Toolkit serves as a guide for employers across the Commonwealth to either improve their current work-based learning program or launch a new program.
Virginia Department of Education Logo
The Virginia Department of Education’s Work-Based Learning at a Glance, for the business community, describes the 12 types of high-quality work-based learning opportunities available to students.