For 23-year-old Kaitlin Gwynn, working for the City of Gainesville has been a gateway to opportunity. But the UF alumna who is about to enter graduate school isn’t a staff member — she’s an intern.
“You’re really trusted with doing tangible projects and tasks,” said Gwynn, who is interning in corporate communications at Gainesville Regional Utilities. “I’ve met people — senators and representatives — key people that I never would have been exposed to otherwise.”
Gwynn is one of about 35 interns who work for the City of Gainesville through an informal program that offers both paid and unpaid internships to students. That number may be growing in the future.
Mayor Ed Braddy is looking to expand opportunities for student interns and to up the program’s prominence, said Cheryl McBride, interim human resources director for GRU and the City of Gainesville. After a meeting Tuesday with Braddy, McBride said the mayor was pleased to see how interns are being used across city agencies and offices, and he is seeking to increase the number of positions.
McBride said they are also working to make the program a high-profile one.
“I think perhaps there’s a perception that we didn’t have a very robust program because we don’t go on campus three times a year looking (for interns),” she said. “We are looking to make opportunities more visible to students and also to explore other areas that could utilize interns.”
Instead of a formal recruiting period, she said, the city looks for interns throughout the year.
Agencies for which students may work include Gainesville Police, Regional Transit System, the City Attorney’s Office and the Office of Equal Opportunity. Paid positions range from about $8 per hour to $16 per hour.
Audrey Mitchell, human resources manager for the city, added that the program is flexible and based on the needs of certain departments.
“We don’t have a program specifically that’s structured,” she said. “Various departments offer internships based off of what they need and use individuals to fill opportunities.”
McBride said the internships help the city as well as the students involved.
“By working with students while they’re in school, hopefully we can keep great talent in the city of Gainesville,” she said.
For now, McBride said the city is still in the planning phase for ramping up the program.
