Contact: Peipei Zhou | Facebook Career Connections
646.342.5776 (m) | peipei@fb.com
646.342.5776 (m) | peipei@fb.com
Jan. 14 — Facebook today announced that it is launching Facebook Career Connections in the north central New Mexico area in the summer of 2020.
Career Connections is a Facebook initiative that connects local businesses with innovative, Facebook-trained collegiate talent for three-month long fellowships. The program provides both businesses and students with access to exclusive Facebook trainings and professional development opportunities. It is designed to bolster the success of local businesses, train college students for the 21st century workforce and develop career pathways to retain and strengthen the state’s local talent pipeline.
“Facebook is helping fill a critical need by investing in New Mexico’s emerging talent and connecting them with local companies. Local businesses are matched with motivated college students who have been trained in digital marketing and social media management.” said Peipei
Zhou, Program Lead for Facebook Career Connections. “Connecting local students to local companies deepens the impact of this initiative — it’s a win-win for both students and businesses, and strengthens the state’s emerging talent pipeline.”
“Workforce development programs are critical to New Mexico’s talent attraction and retention strategy, and it’s great to have employers such as Facebook providing career exploration opportunities to help students learn new skills and get to put those skills to work with companies in their own communities,” said Annemarie Henton, Vice President of Business Development & Marketing for Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc. “Facebook’s Career Connections program is a win-win for developing talent in our state and ensuring local businesses are learning and implementing current digital marketing practices.”
Students who apply to Facebook Career Connections are vetted and interviewed and attend an in-person Skills Summit facilitated by the Facebook Career Connections team. After the summit, for 4 weeks, the students are trained through online training modules that teach the students skills ranging from digital marketing and social media management, to interpersonal and communication skills. Once training is complete, participating local businesses, known as Business Partners, interview a number of students to make the final selections for the three-month Fellowships.
The Facebook initiative is open to college students in north central New Mexico with an interest in digital marketing and social media management. Students must be over the age of 18 and roughly half-way through a post-secondary degree at a two- or four-year institution. They also have to demonstrate financial needs and preference is given to first-generation college students and underrepresented students.
Facebook launched a pilot of the Career Connections program last summer in Arkansas with a select group of businesses and students. Twenty-one students were matched with Fellowships during the pilot and 52% of Fellows received a job extension after the Fellowships, far exceeding the national average.
“We learned so much from our Facebook Career Connections Fellow,” said Andria Russaw, Director of Marketing at Centennial Bank in Little Rock, who participated in the pilot last summer. “We are so glad we had the opportunity to participate in this program last year, and can’t wait to host another Fellow next summer.”
“My Facebook Career Connections Fellowship changed my life,” said Marco Ramirez, a Fellow from the initial pilot who interned at the Conductor in Conway. “It opened my world to the career opportunities available to me in the state.”
The Facebook Career Connections program is currently accepting applications for Business Partners and for students. Applications are due on Friday, February 14, 2020. To apply, please visit the Facebook Career Connections website.
The Facebook Career Connections Summer Fellowship will go from mid-May to mid-August, 2020; the Skills Summit for businesses and students will be offered in New Mexico on March 7th and 8th, respectively.
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About Facebook Career Connections
Career Connections is a Facebook initiative that expands student access to meaningful careers in their communities while contributing to the growth of local businesses. Facebook Career Connections helps businesses remain competitive by curating a pipeline of innovative, career-ready students, up skilling them in social media management and digital marketing, equipping them with the soft skills they need to succeed and matching them with a Facebook employee mentor. Through Facebook Career Connections, Facebook-trained students are connected with local businesses for three-month Fellowships (currently accepting applications for summer 2020); businesses get access to online learning through Facebook, as well as $500 in Facebook/Instagram ad credits.
