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CoxHealth creates non-health internships for college students

When college students gain work experience, it opens new career pathways and ultimately creates a more talented pool of workers in the region.

As the efactory looks to improve economic development of Springfield and southwest Missouri, we have partnered with many employers to provide training and chances to innovate – and maybe even change the way they do business.

This can include the creation of new roles and programs, and this innovation ends up providing major opportunities to expand and reach more people.

CoxHealth has been a long-time partner of the efactory and they recently announced a Non-Allied Health Internship Program for the summer of 2023.

“Employer partnerships are important to Missouri State because we’re able to address two critical needs by connecting students with employers,” said Brad Bodenhausen, VP of Community and Global Partnerships at Missouri State University. “Students need practical experience to complement and complete their academic programs. They are seeking opportunities to explore careers and gain valuable workplace experience.”

Beyond student needs and requirements, though, Bodenhausen points out that employers can creatively solve the problem of the talent pipeline by building relationships with students and universities.

“Employers in every sector are in constant talent attraction mode. Creative and thoughtful internship programs provide meaningful experience for students and give employers a chance to help prepare the future workforce.”

What is non-allied health?

A non-allied health internship means it’s for someone not necessarily planning to go into healthcare – these aren’t internships to train up the future nurses, physician’s assistants, doctors, etc. These internships are designed to give relevant work experience to college students – no matter the industry they plan to work within.

“In this role, interns can continue developing skills related to their area of study through a ten-week experience,” said Katelyn Lenhart, Administrative Director of Workforce Development, Recruitment and Retention at CoxHealth. “The program allows individuals to work on meaningful projects, hone their leadership skills and gain relevant experience related to business or support functions within a healthcare setting.”

The healthcare industry needs human resource professionals, IT professionals and financial services experts just like any other large organization. And CoxHealth, with its eye on efficiencies and innovation, has recognized that there’s a great need to introduce college students to the organization through this internship program.

“In addition, the program allows students to earn valuable knowledge and understanding of what it’s like to work in healthcare and will be able to showcase their work in a presentation to business leaders,” Lenhart said. “Working in healthcare is an opportunity to make a difference every day. We hope to provide a robust experience to those students in a business-related field and share with them how they can engage in a meaningful career path post-graduation.”

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