InteRDom Announces 2011 Annual Conference: Good Management Practices for Internship Programs

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

The InteRDom
Conference since its inception has been noteworthy for promoting the best trends and research on professional development, and for linking universities and companies with a common view to foster dialogue around the role that each one plays in the labor market.

The conference will take place over a period of 2 days and will be organized as follows:

Wednesday, October 12, 10a.m. at
FUNGLODE, Roundtable Discussion: Service Management Standards – Professional Guidance at FUNGLODE

The content will be presented by Christian Garcia, director of Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami and recipient of the "Student Engagement" award given by the United States National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The roundtable discussion that Garcia will lead will focus on the evaluation of career counseling
services offered by universities to prepare students to better assess their capabilities, implement a career plan, make a decision to enter the labor market and increase their employability.

The roundtable discussion will include Sonia Colombo as Garcia’s Dominican counterpart, who is an expert in human resource management and coaching.

Participants will discuss the scope and reach of activities that provide opportunities for students to gain
professional experience: résumé and interview preparation, searching for appropriate internship and research opportunities, preparation for undertaking continuing studies programs and access to academic and career counseling.

Thursday, October 13, 7 p.m. at FUNGLODE, Conference: Best Practices on Internship Management at FUNGLODE

The conference will feature two presentations on contemporary practices
that international companies and universities implement to build effective and ongoing relationships.

Devon Howland, San Francisco Director of the Academic Internships Council (AIC), will join Garcia as the second presenter.  Howland has specialized in linking companies with hundreds of students from the University of California Berkeley, University of Michigan and Boston University. 

The InteRDom conference contributes to improving
public policies designed to boost job placement. The event is given in conjunction with and as a complement to the InteRDom’s Internship Certification Seminar offered at FUNGLODE for organizations interested in implementing new or improving their existing internship programs.

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 contribute in a significant manner 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.

Resources:
University of Miami Toppel Center:
http://www.sa.miami.edu/toppel/mainSite/students/aboutUs.aspx

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE):
http://www.naceweb.org/2010awards/winners/

American Internship Council (AIC):
http://academicinternshipcouncil.org/