This summer, Mark Kittaka, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg, informed graduate retention clients that former interns who completed unpaid internships have sued their former employers, claiming they should have been compensated for their work according to the Department of Labor. In light of this, Graduate Retention strongly recommends that employers should consider paying their current unpaid internship positions. In effort to help employers with the task of paying interns, Graduate Retention would like to spread the word about theEARN Indiana Program (Employment Aid Readiness Network), organized by the Indiana Commission on Higher Education (ICHE)andIndianaIntern.NET.
This past spring, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education partnered with IndianaIntern.NET to revamp the EARN Indiana program in order to provide more experiential learning opportunities to Hoosier students and employers. In its early stages, the EARN Indiana program was meant for civic and nonprofit use only. However, starting this fall, for-profit employers can take advantage of this opportunity to help fund their internships.
EARN Indiana will pay up to 50 percent of the salary for eligible interns, as long as their employment location is also qualified. Eligible students consist of 21stCentury Scholars, OBannon Fellows and students who have been offered state-funded financial aid packages. Employers are eligible to receive support once their internship is posted and filed through IndianaIntern.NET. In addition, employers must also apply with the ICHE.
EARN Indiana has the potential to support up to 650 internships this year, with more than $800,000 available.
To provide employers with the most information possible, Graduate Retention will hosta Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, October 1, from 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m.Amanda Stanley with the ICHE and Janet Boston with IndianaIntern.NET will be attending the luncheon to discuss the many benefits of this new and exciting funding opportunity. Please plan to join us for this very informative lunch!
Admission is $10 for Greater Fort Wayne Inc. investors and $20 for general public. To sign up for this session,click here.
