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IT company welcomes Northwest interns, grads
June 1, 2006
MARYVILLE, Mo. – A new company hoping to reverse the trend of information technology jobs leaving the United States for foreign shores is creating employment and internship opportunities for Northwest students and graduates.
Rural Sourcing Inc. is currently working with a handful of colleges, including Northwest, to recruit professionals for IT operations in Missouri, Arkansas and North Carolina.
The high-tech jobs are similar to those many U.S. companies have contracted out in recent years to workers in Pakistan, India and other countries.
According to Stacy Navarro, Rural Sourcing’s vice president for human relations, the idea is to tap personnel resources created by colleges and universities located in rural communities. A number of Northwest interns and graduates have already found work at the company’s Rock Port facility located less than an hour from the University’s Maryville campus.
Rural Sourcing, which was profiled in the April 7 issue of the “Chronicle for Higher Education,” also has offices in Jonesboro, Ark., and Greenville, N.C.
Navarro said the company believes it can take advantage of the lower cost of living and other economies associated with rural areas while creating employment opportunities for skilled workers reluctant to trade small-town life for jobs in the city.
So far, it seems to be working. Navarro said two Northwest interns started working at the Rock Port facility this spring in addition to two University graduates who are part of a small full-time staff.
“A terrific partnership is developing between our organization and Northwest,” she said. “We have met with many of the faculty, and everything seems to fit as far as the types of classes and the quality of education offered.
“Our goal is to create more opportunities for qualified students and graduates who aren’t interested in locating to larger cities and who wish to remain in the area.”
Northwest students interested in working for Rural Sourcing will improve their chances by seeking internships, Navarro said. Those who do well have the inside track for full-time employment following graduation.
Northwest alumna Teresa Gidding, who graduated with a degree in management information systems in 2005, started working in the Rock Port office when it opened in January. Her current duties center on Web design.
“My husband works in the area, and we have two children in school here,” said Gidding, who grew up in Clarinda, Iowa, and has lived in Rock Port for the past four years. “So, for us, it worked out perfectly. I didn’t want to move, and the company has done so much to make me feel welcomed. It’s a family oriented business, and I really like that.”
Navarro said Rural Sourcing’s clients range in size from Fortune 500 companies to small local firms.
Those customers represent a variety of business sectors, including insurance, telecommunications,
energy, human resources and information technology.
“The beautiful thing is that we are starting to receive additional projects from the same clients,” she said. “The projects continue to grow, and we are acquiring repeat business.”
Northwest interns and graduates have been an important part of the company’s initial success, Navarro stated.
“The positive attitudes, energy and knowledge they bring are very important,” she said. “It has been a very positive experience for us, and we are very excited about our relationship with Northwest.” |
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