About the Program

The Arconic Global Manufacturing Internship Program for Unemployed Youth is an international program funded by the Arconic Foundation in collaboration with the Institute of International Education (IIE). The program aims to create a pipeline of youth (ages 18 – 26) transitioning them into the manufacturing field, into other full time positions outside of manufacturing, or into postsecondary education and training. Five sites originally provided the program around the globe. Blount County was (and still is) one of these sites. 

The program consists of workforce readiness training, paid internships, a career fair, and graduation. The Adult Education Foundation of Blount County is proud to have been a partner from 2014 - 2017.

Blount Partnership, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County, and the Blount County Public Library collaborated with 16 local manufacturing companies in Blount County to provide Career Readiness and Counseling classes and paid manufacturing internships. 

Additional partners who helped to provide a comprehensive, successful experience for the interns included Pellissippi State Technical Community College, the UT College Access and Persistence Services Outreach Center, the American Job Center, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, and the Knoxville Urban League.

The program still continues in 2018 - 2019, under the auspices of the Blount County Friends of the Library and the Blount County Library.

The application can be downloaded here.

Local Outcomes and Impacts

A total of 109 interns have completed the program during 2014 - 2017. Outcomes data were collected during the second phase, resulting in the following:

• 80% completed most or all of the 100-hour internship with local manufacturers. Some worked overtime and were hired at the internship sites immediately after completing the program.

• 61% gained full-time employment. Of those, half were hired full-time at manufacturing sites.

• 22% reported enrolling in postsecondary education or training.

• Of the 16 companies providing internships, 8 provided internships over both phases.

• A graduation component was added. All interns attended graduation who did not need to be at work, and many brought family.

• The program garnered significant media coverage during National Manufacturing Week (2014 – 2017), and ongoing media coverage in local papers have amplified visibility of the program.