SAN MARCOS , San Diego businesses have an opportunity to employ energetic workers for their marketing, customer service, accounting and other departments , for free.
For eight years, California State University San Marcos has sponsored a program called the Senior Experience. The program allows seniors to gain hands-on experience in their field while satisfying business’ need for consultants. Students work in teams of four while earning college credit and job experience alongside seasoned business professionals.
“The students are forming the bridge between classroom education and real-world application of theories they have learned,” said Alan Omens, Senior Experience director. “They are getting to put their education into practice.”
About 200 local businesses have employed CSUSM students in conjunction with Senior Experience since the program started. Qualcomm Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Sony Electronics, Inc., and the city of San Diego are a few of the organizations that have taken advantage of the program. More than 1,000 students have been involved in the program, which is now a graduation requirement for business majors.
“This is a rewarding program in many ways,” said Kathy Barber of Breg Inc., a medical products manufacturer in Vista. “The ability to work with a developing university and help students gain real-world experience is wonderful.”
Breg Inc. has had Senior Experience students working with them for four years now. Teams there have done everything from developing an employee resource guide for the human resources department to investigating the feasibility of a child care facility.
“The students performed well above average,” Barber said.
Applications for participation in the program will be accepted from businesses throughout the summer. The program expects 160 students will participate in the upcoming school year. For more information, contact Omens at (760) 750-4268.
