GoodTurn Cycles Summer 2020 Internship
Now more than ever students and young adults are facing unparalleled challenges to finding employment. At GoodTurn Cycles, we realize how important it is to offer job training services to our youth while adhering to health safety guidelines.
Over the course of the summer, GoodTurn cycles hosted 6 interns. Each intern was required to wear a mask at all times upon entry of the building and was instructed to stay home in the case that he/she showed symptoms of COVID-19. We continued in-person instruction while maintaining physical distance. Interns learned how to properly fix flat tires, adjust brakes and shifting, and even worked on perfecting their resumes all in the span of a few months. Jacinta and Lulu, two interns from Girls Inc. — a program dedicated to young women interested in STEM — built two bikes from the ground up in only 4 weeks!
Based on a study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), about 22% of employers decided to cancel their internships entirely, leaving hundreds of young adults without valuable work experience during the summer. The study showed that most employers who continued to hold their summer internships either made them virtual, shortened them, or both. We decided the extra steps necessary to stay open and in-person outweighed the disadvantages of canceling our internship or going virtual.
Lulu, Jacinta, and Kate learn the basics of suspension
Some of the main disadvantages of remote working are social isolation, difficulty in separating home affairs from professional ones, and risk of losing professional contacts, according to a study titled “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Remote Working from the Perspective of Young Employees.” Because of these complications, we wanted to safely open up an environment where students and young adults could feel supported in their professional career while interacting with other young adults and professionals. An internship can change the trajectory of a student’s professional career and will make them more employable for positions in the future. Cancelling our internship was not an option for Goodturn Cycles.
As we welcome our doors to our 2020 fall internship cohort, we will remain vigilant in the effort to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak. We will follow the following protocols during our fall internship:
- Mask wearing at all times
- Maintaining 6 feet of distance during instruction
- Disinfecting surfaces including tools, tables, and bikes
- Allowing one familiar customer group at a time in the building
- Working with sales customers in the front of the shop and service drop-offs in the rear part of the building
During this challenging time, GoodTurn Cycles aims to continue to serve the community by providing quality job training opportunities while doing so in a safe and healthy manner. We hope you will support our mission to teach the young generation as they work through the struggles of seeking employment during this pandemic.
The advantages and disadvantages of remote working from the perspective of young employees. (The Central European Journal of Social Science and Humanities)
Quick Poll: Employers Maintaining Plans for College Hiring, Holding Internships