Emtec Inc.

Emtec, Inc., an IT Strategy and Consulting, Digital Transformation company recently relocated its global headquarters to Jacksonville from Pennsylvania. The company has worked in the Jacksonville market for 18 years; they are interested in continuing that work as well as expansion in cybersecurity. To keep up with demand for talent, Emtec has taken a proactive approach, particularly regarding their internship program with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) students.

In conjunction with Emtec, DCPS sponsored 105 student interns in summer 2019 who were selected from 10 schools to work on 75,000 computers to perform a preventative maintenance cleaning and reimaging prior to the new school year. Students receive a week of training which equips them to travel to various schools and refresh student and teacher laptops as part of imaging and cleaning teams. The program has blossomed from its inception 5 years ago in which fewer than 10 students were involved. While students have a great deal of responsibility for costly equipment, they have “risen to the challenge and gained important soft skills,” according to Doug Goodall, Managing Director of Emtec Infrastructure Services. Students work 32 hours a week at $10 per hour.

The internship is truly a workforce development strategy. As a result of the summer internship, 10 to 15 students are extended an additional 5 or 6 months with Emtec to complete the yearly PC refresh project. Any students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in IT will graduate with six years of progressive IT experience. According to Mike Marino, Operations Manager, Emtec employees rally around the interns, providing support and expertise. The program has become an important aspect of the company culture.