ONEIDA - Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. Tuesday praised Black River Systems of Utica for its efforts to support the Oneida County College Student Corps and help grow the high tech workforce of the future.

“There are some great careers and great employers in Oneida County,” Picente said. “Through summer internships, employers have the opportunity to not only get a preview of highly talented young people who will be graduating from college soon, but they also have the chance to be part of the long-range economic development of our region by showing the workforce of the future they types of great jobs that exist here.”

The Oneida County College Student Corps, which was created in 1998 by the Oneida County Board of Legislators, provides 200-hour summer internships for Oneida County-based students. Under the program, operated by the Oneida County Office of Workforce Development, employers and the county each pay half the cost of an intern – making the program an ideal public-private partnership that helps local college students gain a fuller understanding of local opportunities in their chosen field of study. This year, about 125 students are working as interns under the coordination of Project Coordinator Theo Wilson.

“At Black River Systems Company, our student internship program serves two purposes:  one, it introduces the student to Black River Systems Company and  Black River Systems Company to the student and two, it supports our internal research and development goals,” said company president Jeff Brandstadt.  “The Oneida County College Student Corps allows us to expand our summer program which benefits both the company and the local community.   We appreciate this opportunity to work with the county to help develop new talent in this region.”