The Belford Group recently announced a new program that’s launching soon: internships for women and moms in Northwest Arkansas.
Angela Belford, co-owner of The Belford Group and founder of the adult internship project, said, “I have a heart for moms that have spent years staying at home and are now wanting to transition back to the workforce. I have met so many talented women who need training and job experience.
“We’re launching our first class of adult internships, meaning that you won’t have to have a degree related to our industry, or even experience. We will train you in various aspects of the business and give you at least 8 months’ work experience. Roles we’ll be training for include customer service, web development, writing, social media management and possibly basic graphic design.”
If you’re interested in returning to the workforce and this sounds like something that would be up your alley (including you empty nest moms!) read this interview with Angela Belford for more information:
What services does The Belford Group provide?
Branding, web design, SEO, Social media management, and marketing collateral design
Why did you want to start this “adult internship” program?
I met so many women that had made the right decision for their family to stay at home and then 10 years later were struggling to regain their career. Often their self-doubt plagued their ability to see what tremendous value they could bring to a business. So I want this to give them on-the-job training, relevant work experience in a supportive environment to also nurture their self-esteem.
Part of this program I hope to educate businesses on the benefits of hiring moms with school aged children. I know moms that need money and will work very hard if someone will give them some flexibility to still be homeroom mom, stay home when the kids are sick and work form 9-3. Often my clients will ask me if I know someone and I’ll tell them that they don’t need a full time person, they should consider a stay at home mom. One of my clients has a mom that works 2 days a week as a bookkeeper and I swear she gets enough work done for a full time person because she’s super focused and knows she has to get all her work done. She’s very thankful for the flexibility.
Who is a good candidate for this program?
Stay at home moms with school aged children or someone in a job that they hate but they do because they don’t fill skilled to change careers. Besides circumstances, we are looking for detail-oriented people that like to get tasks done. While it’s a supportive environment, we are still a business, so we have work to do.
What about empty nest moms?
Absolutely. For that end of the spectrum, I’ve met a lot of women that find themselves 40-something+ single again, sometimes not by their own choice. I want to give them an opportunity to create a life for themselves.
My current web developer was a stay at home mom for 25 years. Then she was my client who I built her website and she taught herself a lot about managing an eCommerce business. Then I started paying her to train other clients on the eCommerce software. Finally I just hired her. She works in Conway and is a critical member of our team. She’s so thankful for the opportunity and more important LOVES her job.
What kind of on-the-job training can adult interns expect?
We will be focusing primarily on web – content writing, learning about Internet marketing, customer service, and social media management. We hope to partner with client sites where they can get an additional few months of work in a client environment to further their skills and maybe get them placed.
How might this help in a future job search?
Recent relevant job experience, great references plus networking. I know a lot of people in NWA, if I can speak confidently about someone’s skills and abilities and help them find a position that fits, then it’s a win-win.
How many interns will you accept?
This first round it will only be 3-4 while we work out the kinks. There’s already discussion of how we can open this up beyond NWA to remote workers.
Is the internship paid?
Yes, it will start at $10/hour.
Are the hours flexible?
Yes, we are looking for moms, so we know we have to have flexibility. It will be 15-20 hours per week, we’re thinking during school hours.
When does the first group of interns start?
September 14
How can women apply?
CLICK HERE to fill out an online application.
