Business and Labor committee holds hearing on InterNebraska internship program as funding, retention questions surface

The Nebraska Legislature Business and Labor Committee held an interim study hearing on LR211, an investigation of the InterNebraska internship program, during which lawmakers and stakeholders described the program’s origins, eligibility rules and reported effects on retaining college-educated young professionals.

Senator Jason Prokop, who introduced LR211, told the committee the program was created following the Business Innovation Act and that changes in 2022 expanded reimbursements and program supports. Prokop said Nebraska has "a much higher than average outflow migration of college educated young professionals," and cited data that from 2010 to 2020 the state averaged a net domestic migration loss of nearly 6,000 residents per year, concentrated in ages 20 to 34.

The hearing assembled former and current program partners, university career staff and local employers who described how InterNebraska operates and where they see gaps. Dan Curran, former deputy director at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and now with the Nebraska Business Development Center at UNO, urged continuation of an internship program to connect students with employers and said DED had worked to improve internship quality and help employers qualify for grants. "I hope this…