The North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) has implemented a program to sponsor student internships. The purpose of this program is to promote and develop an avenue for the NCPC and the NC Pork Producers to identify high school and college students that show an interest in pursuing a career in the NC pork industry.

The student internship program is intended to encourage pork producers and pork production companies to introduce students to the potential career in the pork industry. This program will help to improve their public relations and to encourage pork producers and pork production companies to invest in the industry's future employees.

The NCPC will provide funding to aid sponsorship of student interns who desire to work in a job within the NC pork industry. The NCPC will provide a reimbursement of one-half of a student intern's salary up to a maximum of $1,500 to be paid to the sponsoring NC pork producer at the end of the internship ($3,000 maximum per company). Reimbursement will be made to the pork producer after completion of the internship and after the student intern and pork producer evaluations have been completed and submitted to the NCPC within 30 days after completion of the internship.

The student internship program is available to students who are juniors or seniors in high school, and community college and four-year college students. The areas of work will include working on production farms or on a project within the NC pork industry under the supervision of an approved mentor who will be responsible for providing guidance and supervisions while on the job.

Both the student intern and the sponsoring pork producer must complete an application and return it to the NCPC by April 15, 2009. The application must be signed and approved by a NCPC Board member from the district in which the internship is completed. The sponsoring producer will be responsible for and assume all liabilities for all insurance, payroll taxes, and workman's compensation. The student intern is responsible for housing, meals and travel. The NCPC will not be held liable for any of the activities that occur between the intern and the producer during the term of the internship. In the event that the two parties involved mutually agree to end the internship prior to completion of the internship, the producer must still complete the reports for any reimbursement.

To download a brochure and application click here.

Applications must be received by April 15, 2009.