Support Pathways for Students
Launch Your IT career - Before You Graduate
Avoid the stress of a senior-year job search. Start your IT career with an
internship that can lead to a full-time job while you’re still in school.
UALR and the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS) are working together to strengthen educational pathways for computer science and cybersecurity majors, and connect those students with employers throughout Arkansas to help them launch successful IT careers – while providing the talent that employers need to grow.
&
High-demand and well-paying career opportunities in Information Technology are looking for you! Through the Support Pathways for Students Program, you can apply to earn a paid summer internship between your sophomore and junior year.
In your junior year, you can then apply for a full-time apprenticeship during your senior year and graduate with real work experience.
Your benefits:
- Get hired as a full-time employee with an ACDS partner employer
- Receive on-the-job training with an experienced mentor
- Receive both academic credit and a competitive salary
- Graduate with lower net expenses and meaningful work experience
- Receive specialized career training
Freshman
Year
Sophomore
Year
Apply to earn a paid internship for the summer following your sophomore year.
Junior
Year
Apply for a full-time apprenticeship to last throughout your senior year.
Senior Year
& Graduation
Complete your
apprenticeship at
the end of your
senior year and
graduate with real
work experience.
How it Works
Students who apply for an internship and/or apprenticeship with ACDS will undergo a competitive application process including a technical and critical thinking assessment and interview and resume review.
Once approved, successful applicants will receive talent career training before they are matched with one of ACDS’s industry partners.
Students who are selected for internships receive valuable work and mentorship experience while interning for one of ACDS’s employer partners. Students who are selected for an apprenticeship will receive a conditional job offer for full-time employment with one of ACDS’s employer partners.
Questions
A registered apprenticeship is an employer-driven model that combines on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction that increases an apprentice’s skill level and wages. An apprenticeship is a full-time job, while an internship is a temporary, three-month position.
Since you will be working full-time in your apprenticeship and completing school, you may need to extend your time finishing your degree. There are many variables that could impact your schedule.
Most apprenticeships are done in the employer’s office environment. An increasing number of opportunities have become remote in IT.
All Arkansas employers can participate. Many companies, from small to large, across every industry in the state are currently leveraging apprenticeships. All internships and apprenticeships are employer-driven based on their organization’s needs.
The position will be aligned as closely as possible with your career goals. Some of the most common occupations are:
- Network Administrator
- Systems Administrator
- Software Engineer
- Data Analyst
- Project Manager
- Front-End Developer
- Full-Stack Developer
- UX/UI