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San Jose Unified Wants To Require Internships For Students

SAN JOSE (KCBS) – Under a new strategic plan unveiled by San Jose Unified School District, students would be required to take an internship in order to graduate from high school.

If approved, the plan would make taking an internship with a major Silicon Valley company a requirement for graduation.

The goal is to get students valuable work experience outside of the classroom, something not everyone is really thinking about.

"I don't really find it interesting, it's just whatever," said Lincoln High School sophomore Denise Orozco.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, said he thinks the program is good for classrooms and boardrooms.

"It allows students graduating from today's high schools to get a glance past the classroom and if not into the boardroom, to at least the assembly room or training room of companies here in Silicon Valley," he said.

Guardino said it also gives companies a look at talent coming in from high school graduates.

The San Jose Unified School District board would still have to approve making internships a graduation requirement for the plan to be fully implemented.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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