MOU with CETYS will expand reach of internship program

IMPERIAL — Imperial Regional Alliance o cials are excited about a memorandum of understanding with CETYS University in Mexicali signed last Friday over IRA’s Internship to Career Program

They say the MOU will serve to further e orts on both sides of the border for career building and workforce training opportunities in the Imperial Valley.

IRA Marketing Coordinator Alessandra Muse said, while the internship program has been in operation since 2016, Friday was a big day.

“This MOU is a game changer for us,” Muse said.

IRA is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) with a mission to improve quality of life in the Imperial Valley through education, workforce training and job creation.

The Internship to Career Program works by bridging the experience gap of job seekers and students through internship opportunities with businesses in Imperial Valley.

The program uniquely answers the needs of both businesses and job seekers. IRA’s relationship with CETYS will serve to market the program directly to CETYS students, expand the reach of the program and benefit the Cali Baja Bi-National Mega-Region.

The alliance used AT &T and the Well Fargo Foundation and a few others who played a role in creating the MOU, Muse said.

She said it helps businesses find interns of any age and also bridges the gap between the two organizations.

In past years IRA has worked with a wide range of industries, though Muse said any company can approach the organization if it would like to play a role.

“We are very open and not limited,” she said. “We are open to everything.”

Muse said there is a minimum age for a young person who would like to be an intern, but most students in high school would be eligible.

“We offer it to not only students, but to other job seekers, too,” she said.

Interns have worked at the Imperial Economic Development Corp., IRA and small businesses in engineering, marketing and design, among others.

“We choose the business based on the students that come to us for their needs and career goals,” Muse said. “We go out to find the careers that work for them.”