A win-win for students and startups
Not every student is looking for a traditional internship experience. For students with entrepreneurial aspirations, the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program created the ENtern Entrepreneurship Intern Program, an opportunity that pairs students with Penn State startups and has the added benefit of giving early-stage ventures access to student talent. Selected ENterns receive a $1,500 award for a 150-hour experience with the startup.
The LaunchBox’s FastTrack Accelerator, Invent Penn State’s Summer Founders Program and local startups through Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Small Business Development Center provide startup opportunities for ENtern entrepreneurship interns, along with other startups and small companies that reach out to the program. .
By giving students real-world experience, the program creates a path to potential employment in a startup company and hones the skills students need for an entrepreneurial journey. In addition, it’s a talent pipeline for local startups.
“Through their internships, ENterns are directly exposed to the entrepreneurship world and can explore their entrepreneurial interests and the startup culture,” said Ted Graef, Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship. “They also identify local employment opportunities that keep them in the area after graduation.”
“We wanted to create this opportunity to provide students with experience in an actual startup, as well as help startups reach their goals,” Graef continued. “The ENtern program helps the startup find a student to help move their project forward, many times with social media or coding assistance. The ENtern benefits because they get that real-world experience.” We also want the student to experience the small company environment as this can expand their career choices.
Previous ENtern participants said that being immersed in an entrepreneurial culture helped them hone specific skills and gain confidence in a startup setting. In addition, they said they made valuable connections for future endeavors.
Students can find available ENtern positions and program requirements here. Startup founders interested in learning more about the program or are ready to provide an opportunity to an ENtern can contact Ted Graef, Director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, at tedgraef@psu.edu, for more information.
