What is SHIP (School to Hired Internship Program)?

SHIP (School to Hired Internship Program) aims to prepare high school students for the workforce and provide businesses with upcoming talent by being at the intersection between industry and education.

Where Do I Come In?

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SHIP was created after students from the Morris County School of Technology (MCST) expressed a strong need for connections with local business professionals. As part of MCST’s career-specific education, students complete an internship in their senior year to apply their classroom education to the real world. The Morris County Chamber of Commerce decided to leverage its vast network to help these students find internships. At the same time, the Chamber aims to provide businesses across the county with the opportunity to expand their talent pools and train the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.

How Does It Work?

Since this is the first year of SHIP’s implementation, it is starting on a small scale. For the pilot year, only the Academy for Finance and International Business (FIB) is taking part in the program. The planned steps (subject to change) for the pilot year are as follows:

First Step

Pair up each FIB student with potential businesses

Second Step

Hold a networking event for businesses and students to interact and learn more about each other

Third Step

Allow the businesses and students to directly communicate about internship opportunities and goals

Business Benefits

Unlike most high school students, Academy for Finance and International Business students have a strong background rooted in business education. Students take business classes in all four years of high school with curriculum ranging from marketing to business law. They also participate in extra-curricular activities to further their understanding of the field. The students have strong work ethics and are eager to learn and gain experience. Through the SHIP program, you can connect with diligent and enthusiastic interns who will be a valuable addition to your business. Being a part of the program will allow you to become more closely involved with the Chamber and your local community. You can mentor the next generation and shape them to be the kind of workers your company needs. 

Where Do I Come In?​

​Based on current interest from MCST juniors, SHIP is looking for 15 to 20 businesses of all sizes in the fields of: 

Finance
Marketing
Accounting
Real Estate
Public Relations
Social Work
Sports Marketing
Environmental Sustainability
Design
Law
Fashion
​And more!


What We Need From You

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Although our participating students are interested in a variety of fields, their internships are required to tie into business. Students will also need a mentor to guide them throughout the internship who has some type of business or finance background.
Businesses must have a nonhazardous working environment and must be able to comply with child labor laws. 

Attached below are a list of important labor laws for NJ
https://nj.gov/labor/wagehour/content/child_labor.html

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

Gauri and Steven are both seniors at MCST as a part of the Academy for Finance and International Business. Recently, Gauri and Steven have been serving as interns in the Morris County Chamber of Commerce where they are working on the SHIP Initiative to support their peers and Morris County Businesses.

Gauri Kshirsagar

Steve Cipoletti

Contact Us

If you would like more information about SHIP, please reach out to either Gauri Kshirsagar at gauri@morrischamber.org or Steven Cipoletti at steven@morrischamber.org. We would be happy to respond to any questions or comments you might have.