CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A new paid internship program will connect local employers with Austin Peay State University students, and it’s being kickstarted with a $50,000 grant from the American Job Center.
The pilot internship program is a partnership between APSU and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council.
The idea is that rising APSU juniors and seniors will be connected to local businesses for a paid summer internship, according to Chris Self, director of Workforce Development at the EDC. The APSU program takes the costs and efforts of recruiting, interviewing and hiring interns off of the shoulders of local businesses, and the students would be paid through APSU. Businesses will pay a fee to participate in this “one-stop shop.”
“What we’re trying to do is make it more organized, and more oriented toward getting the students the opportunity to come and do these project-based internships so they get credit for it, and they also get a chance to network with our Clarksville companies,” Self told Clarksville Now.
The 10-week internship, set for May-August 2025, provides college credit, and it’s project-based, with the student expected to present their project at the end of the semester.
Filling job demand in Clarksville
The program is open to all Clarksville-Montgomery County based businesses. “Our intent is to recruit talent to stay here in Clarksville-Montgomery County because of our growing demand on the workforce,” Self said.
To help make all this happen, the American Job Center announced they will provide a $50,000 grant. The pilot program, and the grant, were announced Wednesday at the Clarksville Industrial Association meeting at the F&M Bank Arena.
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Self expects to see 10-15 students participate in this first year for the program, and he hopes to see it grow.
“This pilot is going to be APSU-specific,” Self said, “but as it grows, we’re expecting to bring in students from other universities outside of Montgomery County, even outside of Tennessee, in an effort to recruit good young talent into Clarksville for these over-4,000 jobs that you’ve heard of many times that are coming to Clarksville through 2030.”
What’s next
An information session for businesses is coming up in February, then student intern selection and site placements will take place in April.
Interested businesses should complete the online Employer Interest Form at the APSU program website.
Businesses and students can also contact Dr. Chris Clarke, assistant vice president, Community Belonging & Success at APSU, at clarkec@apsu.edu or 931-221-6544; or they can contact Self at the EDC, cself@clarksville.tn.us or 931-245-4347.
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