The Partners in Pollution Prevention Interns may provide technical assistance to businesses in any number of ways. There are three primary relationships with our business clients, in which the P3 interns could work.
Industrial Placement – One Student/One Business
- Assist the larger industries in Nebraska with pollution prevention focused projects.
- Spend the entire summer at one business.
- A typical project may seek to reduce the most costly waste and involve two to three complex processes for an in-depth analysis.
- The industry will receive in-depth pollution prevention reports that will address the specific concerns outlined at the beginning of the summer.
- A large component is often “applied research” from technical manuals, vendors, and the industry itself. The intern becomes an expert about the processes of that industry.
- Work closely with the industry pros, making useful contacts and practicing business communication skills.
- Businesses participate by providing an office, computer use, and part of the interns salary.
Industrial Placement Intern, Eric Lueshen worked at Visay Dale Electronics in Columbus during the summer of 2006 to minimize waste and increase energy efficiency.
Industrial Assessment – Team of Students/Complex Industrial Projects
- Usually work with larger Nebraska businesses.
- Students set up their own P2 projects with business clients and conduct several assessments during the internship.
- Visit business clients only once or twice for an in-depth waste assessment of the facility or to research a particular environmental problem.
- Students work as a multi-disciplined team, in order to conduct a more complete assessment.
- Projects may include applied research with a written report for the company.
- See a variety of businesses, different processes, and interact with different clients.
- Reports give pollution prevention assistance with a smaller financial and time commitment.
- Closely reflects the real world of environmental consulting.
- Assistance is provided at no charge to the business.
Industrial Assessment Intern, Brad Bloomquist designed a secondary containment system and reduced energy costs by improving compressed air systems at several businesses.
Small Business - One Student/Several Regional Businesses
- Provide 5-8 small businesses (up to 200 employees) with P2 technical assistance. Each assessment takes about a week to research and prepare the report.
- Usually based out of an extension office where the extension staff help make contacts with small businesses in the surrounding area.
- Roughly a quarter of the business clients will be found through cold calls.
- During a walk-through of the business (a couple of hours) the intern can present P2 recommendations to save the company money and reduce waste.
- Valuable pollution prevention assistance free of charge to these small businesses with only a few hours of time required assisting during the visit.
- Public education on ways to prevent pollution is a high priority.
- Interns teach pollution prevention to community groups such as the Elks, Kiwanis, or even at a children's program.
- Interns give radio/TV interviews and submit newspaper articles to inform people about the importance of pollution prevention.
