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Summer Interns Bring Enthusiasm to the Maine Department of Labor 
August 19, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2013
Contact: Jenna Pederson and Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009
AUGUSTA?Eight students have wrapped up their summer internships with the Maine Department of Labor. Amber Allen of Hallowell, Lucas Fortier of Skowhegan, Marc Korobkin of Portland, Charlie Partridge of Augusta, Jenna Pederson of Wilton, Devin Shepherd of Farmingdale, Zachary Stevens of Winthrop and Luke Drabyn of Grafton, Vermont spent several weeks working on special projects as part of the state?s Margaret Chase Smith Internship program.
?This great group of interns has brought a fresh perspective to the Department of Labor this summer,? said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. ?We appreciate their hard work; they have not only learned about the department but they have also served the people of Maine. Most important for them, they have learned valuable skills that will help them wherever their career paths lead.?
Amber Allen, an MBA student at Husson University, worked in the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation (BUC) Division of Employer Services. Allen updated, reformatted, and edited the Field Advisor and Examiners Manual, which is used by all new Field Advisors and Examiners?who visit and assist employers onsite at their place of business?and serves as a reference guide to experienced personnel.
Lucas Fortier attends Colby College and majors in Government and Economics. Fortier worked in BUC, documenting and revising standard operating procedures for the tax section of the Division of Employer Services. These documents provide guidance for staff who assist employers and who administer the unemployment taxation system.
Marc Korobkin, an Economics major at Haverford College, worked with the department?s economic analysts in a study of the long-term outcomes of the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program in the Center for Workforce Research and Information.
Charlie Partridge, a business-marketing student at the University of Southern Maine, worked in the Bureau of Labor Standards. His project involved monitoring employer compliance with prevailing wage posting requirements at construction sites and turning raw data on prevailing wages and construction history into website visualizations for use by the industry and the public.
Jenna Pederson, a Media Studies and Communications major at Quinnipiac University, worked as the communications assistant intern in the Office of the Commissioner. Pederson worked on various projects including writing, editing and managing monthly e-newsletters, drafting and distributing news releases, updating the DOL?s social media presence and editing various materials produced by the department.
Devin Shepherd worked in the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services where he reorganized training materials and other resources, adapted forms for accessibility and created websites that are accessible both in terms of disability and general user-friendliness. Shepherd is a communications/ advertising student at Boston University and hopes to pursue a career in advertising or media development.
Zachary Stevens is a Computer Information Systems major at the University of Maine at Augusta. Stevens worked in BUC designing tax and surety databases using Access and Excel and helping write online forms. Stevens plans to pursue a career in information technology.
Luke Drabyn, a Government and Legal Studies and Russian Language major at Bowdoin College, worked in the Bureau of Labor Standards. He updated more than 70 PowerPoint presentations on workplace safety, condensing standards from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration into easy-to-read slideshows that will be used across the state to educate employers.
The Maine Department of Labor administers Maine?s unemployment insurance system, helps ensure the safety of employees and provides workforce development leadership and vocational rehabilitation services throughout the state. The department has focused on connecting Mainers to jobs and helping businesses create jobs through strengthening our workforce development system, improving outreach to businesses and clarifying employment regulations.
The Maine State Government Summer Internship Program combines paid work experience with an educational program. Administered by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, it is a collaboration involving the Office of the Governor, the Maine Bureau of Human Resources and Maine state government agencies.
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