[453] MTSU Concrete Industry Students Receive Paid Internship Funding

For release:  May 22, 2012

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu

Concrete Industry contact: Dr. Heather Brown, 615-904-8060 or Heather.Brown@mtsu.edu

Tennessee Small Business Development Center contact: Dr. Pat Geho,   

615-849-9999 or Patrick.Geho@mtsu.edu

MTSU concrete industry students receive paid internship funding

MURFREESBORO — With the help of state funding, 13 out of nearly 50 students in the Middle Tennessee State University Concrete Industry Management department will work paid internships this summer that will prove valuable once they enter the job market.

CIM chair Dr. Heather Brown said the department relies on industry support each year to place the summer interns.

Companies have had to tighten budgets and in many cases suspended paid internship programs across the country, Brown said. CIM students are required to work in the industry up to 400 hours, which has proven valuable in full-time career placement, she added.

Although the job outlook has improved this year, students still struggle to find summer jobs on their own, Brown said.

This year CIM received $41,983 in funding from the Tennessee Small Business Development Center to provide students with paid internships, Brown said, adding that these student internships are with small businesses in the concrete and construction industries across the Midstate.

“All of the companies that were awarded a ‘free’ summer intern give to the CIM program in many ways through time, talent and treasure,” Brown said. “We wanted to reward the generosity of our supporters in the concrete and construction industry and give back to companies who typically cannot hire paid interns.”

“CIM is also grateful to have placed these 13 students in summer employment as a result of the funding provided by Dr. Sidney McPhee, MTSU’s president, and Dr. Patrick Geho, state executive director of the University’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center program,” Brown added.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is a network of professional business consultants with 14 centers and five affiliate offices throughout the state. The center provides expert business advice to all types of businesses, whether a manufacturer, retailer, service provider or a professional.

Locally, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at MTSU is located inside the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, 3050 Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro.

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Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo is attached.

PHOTO CAPTION

MTSU President Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, left, is shown with 10 of 13 students who will work paid summer internships with local construction and concrete businesses across the region. Also pictured (from left) are Cory Powell of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Billy Mitchell of Memphis, Nathan Tenpenny of Murfreesboro, Cameron Robinson of Memphis, Ryan Jessie of Murfreesboro, David Dozier of Gallatin, Richard Nelson and Cameron McKee of Murfreesboro, Dan Erickson of Pekin, Ill., Jim Duffy of Murfreesboro, Dr. Pat Geho of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center and Dr. Heather Brown of CIM. (Submitted photo/MTSU News and Media Relations)

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