BILL REQ. #:  S-1017.1 

Read first time 02/02/11.   Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.

     AN ACT Relating to internship opportunities; adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the economic crisis has presented many challenges for youth seeking employment and that many Washington businesses cannot find prospective employees with adequate job skills training in required areas. The legislature intends to overcome these challenges through innovative solutions that maximize existing resources to provide opportunities for job seekers to develop and hone their skills, and for employers to leverage public resources to grow their industry.
     Higher education has become the focal point for thousands of Washington residents who wish to access high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand job opportunities. Many graduates, especially among younger generations, are finding that to be competitive for their desired career requires more than just a degree. Just as extracurricular activities increase a student's competitiveness in the college admissions process, internships that develop strong skill sets and work habits increase an applicant's competitiveness in the hiring process. Engagement in experiential learning provides students an opportunity to apply what is learned in the classroom in a workplace setting and build confidence in their abilities.
     Students gain more than just a greater understanding of their future career; they start to build a professional network that allows them to draw on their connections after graduation to find job openings and to act as references attesting to their character and competencies. These connections are symbiotic in nature.
     Businesses that provide internship opportunities help to develop their future talent pool of potential employees and increase the skill base for their industry overall. The connections developed through internships also have the potential to increase an industry's visibility and student interest for in-demand occupations, as well as assist businesses in expanding or enhancing aspects of their operations that may be lacking in areas of a given student's skill set developed in the classroom.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The board shall create a unified, profile-based web application that provides a forum for students and employers to develop networks and match prospective interns with internship opportunities.
     (2) Within the web application, students and employers may enter information designed to provide criteria that create a profile for matching potential interns with internship opportunities. The application must give students the option of submitting matches to academic or career advisors at the institution they attend.
     (3) The web application must match the profiles of potential interns and compatible employers, provide interns and employers with lists of potential matches, and allow access to the profiles of the matches.
     (4) The board may solicit and receive gifts, grants, and bequests and enter into contribution agreements with private entities and public entities to receive moneys for the purposes of developing the web application.