ARLINGTON – Arlington Public Schools and the city of Arlington announced Tuesday that they are launching a summer internship program for junior and senior high school students.

City and school leaders invite businesses to collaborate in the development of the area’s workforce through the Arlington Career Internships (ACI) program.

With the job market experiencing a scarcity of qualified employees, it only makes sense for businesses to invest in quality high school career programs, Mayor Barb Tolbert said.

“One of the top items I hear from our local employers is the need for a qualified, ready-to-work workforce,” she said. This program “will help bridge this gap and provide our local students with career-connected learning.”

Businesses participating in the internship program will benefit from exposing high school students to real world work experiences, familiarizing them with their workplace, which can lower training time, recruiting costs, and turnover rates.

Local juniors and seniors that complete the ACI program will work 90 hours over the summer and receive 0.5 credits.

“Students will have the opportunity to connect with local employers to build career-specific skills, gain work experience, and clarify their future career direction,” Schools Superintendent Chrys Sweeting said.

In this first year, ACI hopes to connect 20 local businesses with 30 students.

To participate, business owners should email School-to-Work coordinator Lyndall Mullin at aci@asd.wednet.edu.