The University of Mississippi School of Business Administration announced it will host its inaugural Total Internship Management Workshop next month.

The workshop will be held in Auditorium A of the Jackson Avenue Center on Jan. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is presented by Intern Bridge Incorporated, a research and consultation firm based in Austin, Texas that is designed to serve the needs of companies and organizations seeking to create successful internships for students and entry-level initiatives.

In conjunction with the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation, the workshop will include detailed statistics from proprietary research and help participating organizations build internship programs.

“Businesses are struggling to find qualified workers these days,” said John Maynard, president and CEO of the EDF. “This problem cuts across all sectors of both large and small businesses. Students, high school and post-secondary, desperately need to understand what job opportunities actually exist for them. There is no better way to begin solving the workforce issues on both ends of the spectrum than internships.”

A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Experiential Education survey indicated that almost 40 percent of employers’ full-time, entry-level hires came from their internship programs. Companies are also recognizing the value of having a structured talent pipeline via interns. Nearly two-thirds of interns are offered full-time positions after having interned with an organization.

The process considers critical factors of internship programming, including understanding what current students are seeking, program structure, choosing the best supervisor, marketing the opportunity, orientation, compensation, benefits and personnel evaluation.

“We’re excited to host this workshop to support employers’ internship programs,” said Wesley Dickens, assistant director of experiential education at the Ole Miss business school. “Internships are a great opportunity for organizations to identify future hires and increase brand awareness on college campuses. They are also vital for students to build employability skills. It really is a win-win for everyone.”

To register for the workshop, go to internbridge.com/ole-miss/. Registration includes access to the workshop, breakfast and lunch. Anyone who uses the code ‘OleMiss10’ will get a 10 percent registration discount.