The Alabama Productivity Center (APC), an outreach center housed within the Culverhouse College of Business, was recently awarded a $40,000 grant from the Alabama Power Foundation to support its internship program. Among other things, the grant will help the APC recruit and train additional interns and purchase project equipment and materials for interns. The grant will also allow APC to “foster new connections with industry partners by offsetting some of the client costs,” said Business Manager and Grant & Contract Specialist Tara Johnson.
APC interns help Alabama-based companies to increase productivity while gaining on-the-job experience. The interns, who can be undergraduates or graduate students, contribute to innovative projects, solve real-world problems, and ultimately improve efficiency and profitability. Since 2020, participating companies have estimated that APC interns generated over $90 million in financial benefits for businesses. Client testimonials praise interns for “brilliant ideas,” “communication skills and team-building abilities,” and “ability to adapt quickly.” In turn, an impressively high rate of interns ultimately land jobs in Alabama — a full 86 percent in 2023.
Separate from the APC award, the Alabama Power Foundation also made a $1.4 million gift to The University of Alabama, establishing the Alabama Power Endowed Innovation and Talent Retention Fund. The APC internship program aligns with the larger fund’s goals to “develop and sustain resources dedicated to business innovation and entrepreneurship, creating a lasting positive economic impact on the state of Alabama and its citizens.”
“We are grateful to Alabama Power for their continued support of the Alabama Productivity Center and its mission to engage university students in challenging experiential learning opportunities with industry partners around our state,” said APC Executive Director Alan Hill.