MILWAUKEE — In a way to recruit some of our city’s best and brightest, one company is opening up its internship program to give high school students a chance to get some real-world experience while getting their degrees.
“It changed my life,” said Derek Coleman, a designer at We Energies.
In partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department, We Energies is kicking off this year’s recruitment for a one-of-a-kind internship program.
It gives Milwaukee Public Schools students hands-on experience working with the tools and equipment actual line mechanics and gas distribution workers use, which city leaders say they hope is a path to success.
“Many of our kids do not believe that tomorrow will come. This is where a program like this comes into play. It gives a young mind hope. It gives them something to work towards, a skill that's transferable to adulthood, a living wage type of profession,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffery Norman.
For former MPS students like Coleman, the internship was a game-changer.
He says he had no idea this career was even an option for him until he went to an assembly and decided to apply.
Now, he’s a fresh graduate of the Milwaukee Area Technical College and is working as a designer for We Energies.
Derek says he’ll always be grateful for the experience.
“When I saw this opportunity come around, I knew it was life-changing. It kept me out of trouble. When I was out of school, I had to go straight to my job, I had money in my pocket. So, it was pretty life-changing,” said Coleman.
Applications will be available this October, with the first round of interviews set to begin later that month.
Those who are chosen will find out whether they got the internship in December and kick off their internships in the new year.
