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October 14, 2011

Interview with the Speakers – Conference on Best Practices in the Management of Internship Programs

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The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), its sister organization, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE,) and its internship, research and academic exchange program, InteRDom (Internships in the Dominican Republic), presented the 7th Annual InteRDom Conference from October 12 th to 13th, 2011 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The InteRDom Conference contributes to the improvement and design of public policies to boost job placement. The event is delivered as part of the program’s annual agenda that, in conjunction with theInternship Certification Seminar, attracts public, private and non-profit organizations interested in implementing new or improving their existing internship programs.

The InteRDom Conference is noteworthy for promoting the best trends and research on professional development, and for linking universities and companies with common views to foster dialogue around the role that each one plays in the labor market.  As part of the Conference agenda, the speakers, Christian Garcia and Devon Howland, granted an interview to InteRDom representatives.

Interview with Christian Garcia

Interview
Listen to Christian Garcia’s interview

Christian Garcia is a higher education professional with 15 years of experience in career services and academic affairs. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami, which is one of the most innovative and dynamic Centers in the United States. Christian was recently recognized by the Florida Business Journal as one of the 40 leading business professionals under 40 years of age in Florida. He is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the United States, where he serves as Chairman of the Committee, as well as of other local and national professional associations.

The participation of Mr. Garcia in the InteRDom Conference generated great interest among those responsible for student services, internships programs, career development counselors and other professionals in the Dominican Republic to standardize professional counseling services to students aimed to facilitate the transition from the academia to the labor workforce.

 

Interview with Devon Howland:

Interview
Listen to Devon Howland’s interview

Devon Howland is the Director of the Academic Internship Council (AIC) in San Francisco, California, a program that supports colleges and students throughout the United States in the development of internship programs and opportunities with the purpose of acquiring professional experience. Howland works with hundreds of employers from his post at the University of Berkeley as the internship coordinator for its Summer Internship Program.

Devon began his career in the business sector and has worked in Human Resources for several Fortune 500 companies, including: Boeing, State Farm Insurance, Chase Bank and Bank of America. He specializes in key areas interested in promoting diversity in the recruitment programs, internal consulting and process analysis.

At the university level he has provided academic counseling to students in academic institutions such as the University of Chicago, Illinois Wesleyan University, Illinois State University and currently at the University of Berkeley. Part of his expertise comes from recruiting in more than 60 universities in the United States.

His presentation during the conference motivated employers to gather information about the professional profiles of graduates. During his speech, Mr. Holwland encouraged participants to generate realistic expectations about the possible contribution students and new graduates can make in companies.

InteRDom – Internships in the Dominican Republic – was established in 2005 as a program of professional and academic exchange, which serves to promote exchange, research and the growth of national and international students, scholars and professionals from public, private and nonprofit organizations. It joined the mission of its founding organizations Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) to significantly contribute to the development of the nation’s labor sector and to the advancement of academic research. InteRDom provides spaces for personal and professional growth, internationalization and intercultural understanding, and for collaboration on projects related to the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region.

 

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