Auditor general celebrates first IUP graduate of Intern to Hire program
INDIANA, Pa. — Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor on Wednesday celebrated auditor Austin Pastal as the first Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate of the department’s Intern to Hire program, an initiative designed to provide career pathways through internships to students at Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
“If you think a state government office recruiting from PASSHE sounds like a commonsense solution to state government staffing shortages, you’d be right,” DeFoor said. “It’s hard to believe less than a year and half has passed since we first announced our Intern to Hire program and today, we are standing here with our first IUP graduate, Austin Pastal. Auditors like Austin are key to our work in transforming our department.”
“From the start of the internship, I was given good training and meaningful tasks,” Pastal said. “Going from an intern to full-time employee was streamlined since I had already been working and training with the department. I think the Intern to Hire program is an amazing opportunity, and I sincerely encourage students to check out employment opportunities with the auditor general.”
“Internships, externships and other forms of hands-on learning play a pivotal role in preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities of the workforce,” IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll said. “This program opens doors, broadens horizons and paves the way for success, and we are very grateful to Auditor General DeFoor and his team for developing this innovative program. The Intern to Hire program represents an investment in Pennsylvania’s economic growth, workforce development, and the continued prosperity of our communities, as well as a shared commitment to the future.”
DeFoor recently announced the Intern to
Hire program is expanding to include more areas of study and those who have received an associate degree in the last six months. Upon acceptance as an intern, students must complete the following to be hired into a full-time position:
• Current enrollment as an undergraduate student in an accredited college/ university in a declared bachelor’s degree program in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math or a closely related field and successful completion of at least 60 college credits at the time of the internship with a minimum 2.5 GPA; or
• Recent graduate (within six months of the internship commencement) of an associate degree program at an accredited college/university with an area of concentration in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math or a closely related field and a minimum 2.5 GPA; or
• Current enrollment as a graduate student in an accredited college/university in a declared master’s or doctorate degree program in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math or a closely related field and a minimum 2.5 GPA at the time of the internship; and
• Someone who is passionate about their area of focus and public service; who is detail-oriented with curiosity and a desire to learn.
For more information about career opportunities or the Intern to Hire program, visit www.paauditor.gov/careers and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.