Buckhannon, W.Va. — Community Care of West Virginia (CCWV) held a ceremony on July 14 to honor their 2023 Summer Internship Program.

Fifteen students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, from Buckhannon-Upshur High School participated in the internship. The six-week summer program gives students the opportunity to explore careers that exist in their local community and gain life skills in the process.

“Community is at the core of everything we do at Community Care,” said Trish Collett, Deputy CEO at CCWV. “It’s so important to equip students with the skills they need to succeed and seeing the possibilities that exist within their own community encourages young talent to stay in West Virginia.”

Students in the program were placed in the following areas of Community Care’s operations: Accounting, Pharmacy, Billing & Coding, Credentialing, Human Resources, IT, Maintenance, Office Management, Recruitment, and Training.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this program is watching these students grow,” said Leah Chidester, Internship Director at CCWV. “Our goal is for the students who leave this program to be workforce ready. Beyond what they learn within these roles at Community Care, we partner with several groups to provide real world skills such as resumé building.”

Creating a well-rounded experience, CCWV works with Pierpont Community and Technical College, Davis and Elkins College, and Citizens Bank of WV, as well as Upshur County Clerk Carol Smith and Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner to provide additional support in areas to prepare their interns for the future.

While only in its second year, the program has already proven to be successful. One student who participated as an intern both years has been hired in a full-time position at CCWV. “We look forward to the future of this program and anticipate success stories like this for years to come,” concluded Collett.

To learn more about Community Care of West Virginia and the services they provide, visit www.ccwv.org.