Michael Mercier | UAH
The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Office of Career Services’ i4 program is not only a prestigious talent pipeline that connects students and employers through intentional engagement, but also an award winning program at the state and regional level.
The i4 program, named for its four intentional stages, introduce, inspire, integrate and invest, matches UAH students with corporate employers, building relationships in a more meaningful way than that offered by traditional recruiting strategies. i4 is an innovative way to support employers who are committed to building a pipeline of talented new hires who have hands-on experience in the professional workplace before graduation.
The concept initially began as a mentorship program in partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation and has evolved significantly with partnerships with Teledyne Brown Engineering and Hexagon PPM. Each employer can customize the program within the 4 stages to meet the needs of both the students and employers taking part.
The i4 program is unique to UAH and has recently been recognized with both the 2019-2020 Alabama Association of Colleges and Employers (AACE) Educational Program of the Year as well as the 2019 Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE) Imaginative Spirit Award.
AACE’s Educational Program of the Year Award recognizes programs which are designated for use within a member’s organization to meet a need related to career planning/placement, co-op, and/or recruitment on the college level. Entries are judged on objectives, program needs, innovativeness, marketing, content, creativity and results. AACE has members from almost every two- and four-year college or university in the state as well as employer representatives in the state.
Kade Owens (pictured above), the president of the i4 Student Organization, said, “The i4 Program has been a tremendous opportunity for me as a student. Not only did I have the ability to network with representatives from the Aerospace Industry and experience their day-to-day work life, but I was also blessed with an internship that translated into a job with a local Engineering Firm. I will always recommend this program to anyone enrolled at UAH.” Owens, a junior, majoring in Aerospace Engineering from Ringgold, Georgia was also the recipient of the 2019-2020 AACE Co-Op Student of the Year Award.
SoACE’s Imaginative Spirit Award is presented to an individual, team or office, to recognize their contributions towards the implementation of a unique and creative approach relevant to student/alumni programming, advising, employer/university relations, recruiting and/or training. The purpose for this award is to uphold high standards of excellence in support of student/alumni/employer/university engagement, to encourage and reward creativity in our profession and to recognize and share best practices. SoACE is an organization of human resources, college relations and career service professionals from the Southern region of the United States.
Students interested in applying for the program should contact intern@uah.edu and employers wishing to learn more should contact chargerjobs@uah.edu.
