OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha: a place to stay, live and work. These are all things the University of Nebraska Omaha wants its students to see through professional internship experiences.
"The experience that I have gained is so vital to not only just my classes but also who I am as a person," Ellen Vogltanz, a junior at UNO said.
She grew up in Omaha and, through her internships, she has grown to appreciate the jobs available here.
"I don't think I would move anywhere unless it was for a job, but because of all the job opportunities here, then I'll stay," Vogltanz said.
Career Connect at UNO launched in May and already has 1,281 paid internships posted and available for students.
"We know that we have a challenge, right?" said Joanne Li, chancellor of UNO. "The goal for us is to understand: how can a university take a leadership role in providing opportunity for both our talents and employers."
According to the Nebraska Works website, there are more than 52,000 jobs open in the state. Douglas County has the most with more than 21,000 jobs posted online right now.
Veta Jeffery, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce said internship opportunities like these will help the city move forward.
"Helping to make certain that our students have a direct connect to career opportunities through our employers and through the chamber's membership is very, greatly important," Jeffery said.
She said it gives students confidence in knowing they could have a job already lined up come graduation.
Li says UNO is committed to that growth.
"Our goal is to prepare this group of talent to have a mindset to take on challenges that will really continue to make Nebraska very competitive, make Omaha very competitive in the future economy," Li said.
And Vogltanz said she finds it important that she and her classmates help to fill these open roles.
"We know what Omaha is like and we know that the community built here and we know the reasons why we stay," she said.
With more than 60 employers already, UNO is looking to connect with even more area businesses to continue providing these opportunities to students and support the needs of local employers.
Visit the UNO Career Connect website for more information about this program.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
