INDIANA– Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor today celebrated auditor Austin Pastal as the first Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) graduate of the department’s Intern to Hire program, an initiative designed to provide career pathways through internships to students at Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
“If you think a state government office recruiting from PASSHE sounds like a commonsense solution to state government staffing shortages, you’d be right,” Auditor General DeFoor said. “It’s hard to believe less than a year and half has passed since we first announced our Intern to Hire program and today, we are standing here with our first IUP graduate, Austin Pastal. Auditors like Austin are key to our work in transforming our department.”
“From the start of the internship, I was given good training and meaningful tasks,” Pastal said. “Going from an intern to full-time employee was streamlined since I had already been working and training with the department. I think the Intern to Hire program is an amazing opportunity, and I sincerely encourage students to check out employment opportunities with the Auditor General.”
“Internships, externships, and other forms of hands-on learning play a pivotal role in preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities of the workforce,” IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll said. “This program opens doors, broadens horizons and paves the way for success, and we are very grateful to Auditor General DeFoor and his team for developing this innovative program. The Intern to Hire program represents an investment in Pennsylvania’s economic growth, workforce development, and the continued prosperity of our communities, as well as a shared commitment to the future.”
Auditor General DeFoor recently announced the Intern to Hire program is expanding to include more areas of study and those who have received an associate degree in the last six months. Upon acceptance as an intern, students must complete the following to be hired into a full-time position:
- Current enrollment as an undergraduate student in an accredited college/university in a declared bachelor’s degree program in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math, or a closely related field and successful completion of at least sixty (60) college credits at the time of the internship with a minimum 2.5 GPA; or
- Recent graduate (within 6 months of the internship commencement) of an associate degree program* at an accredited college/university with an area of concentration in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math, or a closely related field and a minimum 2.5 GPA; or
- Current enrollment as a graduate student in an accredited college/university in a declared master’s or doctorate degree program in accounting, business, data analytics, finance, economics, math, or a closely related field and a minimum 2.5 GPA at the time of the internship; and
- Someone who is passionate about their area of focus and public service; who is detail-oriented with curiosity and a desire to learn.
*Interns in the Bureau of Information Technology Audits, the Bureau of Performance Audits, and the Bureau of State and Federal Audits must be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program or higher at the start of the internship. Associate degree graduates are encouraged to apply for all other Bureau internship opportunities.
For more information about career opportunities or the Intern to Hire Program, visit www.paauditor.gov/careers and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
For video and photos from the announcement, visit www.pacast.com
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