In today’s job market, getting an internship (or two or three) in one’s chosen field is a virtual necessity for college students if they hope to be gainfully employed after graduation. For UW-Eau Claire students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, getting such internships just got easier. The university recently announced it will be able to create 225 new STEM internships thanks to a grant from the Great Lakes Education Guaranty Corporation. Great Lakes, which is described as “a nonprofit organization committed to helping Midwestern at-risk students get into and through college,” awarded UWEC a Career Ready Internship Grant worth $326,000 over the next three years. UWEC says that, beginning in January, will use the money to place juniors and seniors who have financial need in paid STEM internships. The university plans to work with local employers to ensure that the internships continue after the grant ends in 2018. “This is a tremendous opportunity for UW-Eau Claire students and Chippewa Valley employers,” said Staci Heidtke, associate director of Career Services at UWEC. “Internships provide students with meaningful work experiences and often lead to full-time professional jobs. This grant also provides an opportunity to address the skills gap in the local economy.”