2023 PrepareRI Summer Internship graduation

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (www.skillsforri.com), the statewide workforce intermediary and organizer of the PrepareRI high school internship program, is hosting the graduation ceremony for over 300 students who have completed their PrepareRI summer internship program. The graduation, taking place on August 18 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at Rhode Island College’s Roberts Hall, will feature key speakers including Governor Dan McKee, Senator Jack Reed, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Director Matthew Weldon, Rhode Island College President Jack Warner, Skills for Rhode Island’s Future Executive Director Nina Pande, and PrepareRI Intern Nurkis Payamps.

 “If we want to continue our state’s economic momentum, we are going to need an educated, dedicated workforce to lead us into the years ahead. We are fortunate here in Rhode Island to have PrepareRI, which offers students the opportunity to learn skills that will lead to not just good-paying jobs, but careers,” said Governor Dan McKee. “On behalf of the entire State of Rhode Island, I sincerely congratulate the PrepareRI summer interns for reaching this milestone achievement in their lives, I wish them the very best as they continue their educational paths, and I encourage them to seek out those career opportunities right here in the Ocean State.”

Since 2017, PrepareRI has placed over 2,000 Rhode Island public high school students into paid, career-aligned internships with employers across the state. With a focus on supporting students from underserved communities, the internship program aims to provide equitable access to experiential career learning opportunities for all Rhode Island students. This year, 345 students were placed in internships across 84 participating employers, including Amgen, Bank of America, Citizen Bank, United Way, Walgreens, and many more.

The PrepareRI Internship Program is generously funded by the Governor’s Workforce Board, American Student Assistance, the Rhode Island Department of Education and Bank of America. Program partners include Advancing Workplace Excellence (AWE), Financial Literacy Youth Initiative (FLY), Leadership Rhode Island (LRI) and Rhode Island College (RIC).

For more information, please contact Melba Depena Affigne, [email protected]

About PrepareRI 

PrepareRI is a statewide initiative designed to prepare Rhode Island students with the skills they need for jobs that pay.  The PrepareRI Internship Program provides high school students opportunities to explore careers via workplace learning experiences through paid summer internships.  This program represents a strategic partnership between the Rhode Island government, private industry, the public education system, universities, and non-profits across the state. For more information, visit skillsforri.com/welcome-to-prepareri. 

About Skills for Rhode Island’s Future 

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (SkillsRI) is a nonprofit workforce intermediary dedicated to building strong and diverse talent pipelines for Rhode Island businesses.  SkillsRI works with socially responsible, civic-minded employers, helping design, manage and deliver talent solutions aimed at closing skill gaps, developing inclusive hiring practices, improving business outcomes and growth, all while helping Rhode Islanders find jobs and career opportunities. For more information, visit www.skillsforri.com.