GREENFIELD — After a short-term hiatus, Greenfield Community College has revived its internship program with the hiring of a new coordinator, David Brown.

“Internships are about more than just career readiness; they are experiences that help guide academic decision-making and workplace preparedness while expanding professional networks,” said Brown, who started in the role late last month. “Our work supports GCC’s mission of positioning students for long-term success while engaging the business community and forming mutually beneficial relationships.”

Brown’s role will include reintroducing GCC’s internship program to the community and connecting students with local employers to earn real-world knowledge and experience.

GCC’s internship program, which slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic before coming to a halt, is partially supported by GCC’s donor-supported GSB Internship Fund, named for longtime community partner and donor, Greenfield Savings Bank.

“As we’re focusing on growing enrollment at GCC, we want our students throughout the region to understand our college is synonymous with internship opportunities,” he said. “We believe that … when [prospective students] see the real-world applicability of our programs ... hopefully, they’re going to jump at the chance to learn at GCC.”

Brown, a graduate of the University of California Davis, moved to western Massachusetts from Nashville to be closer to family and friends. In Nashville, he gained experience in higher education working at Vanderbilt University as a student advisor. Before that, he worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Boston.

In his new role, Brown hopes to build on community partnerships, opening the door to more internship opportunities for GCC students. While the program offers college credit, he also hopes that internships can offer a financial component.

“These are people who have responsibilities outside the classroom,” he said. “We’re not trying to place any extra burden on them.”

Brown added that he hopes to bring an element of creativity to his position, helping to expand internship opportunities to students who may not think their area of study lends itself to one.

“I truly see workplace-learning internships going hand-in-hand with academic learning, for a GCC student to understand what it is they’re looking for in terms of the years after they leave the college,” Brown said.

The return of the program is part of GCC’s wraparound support services for students, which include access to student emergency funds, tutoring, disability services, a food pantry, a fitness center and a technology lending library that will be outfitted with laptops for students who need one thanks to a $100,000 gift from the GCC Foundation.

“GCC is committed to offering our students internship opportunities that will allow them to apply their classroom knowledge to the real world of work and develop their professional connections,” said GCC President Michelle Schutt. “We also view internships as beneficial to employers, as they develop their pipeline for future full-time employees in a competitive labor landscape.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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