“Since Hispanics remain the only under-represented population group in federal workforce ranks, we are delighted that the nation’s largest Hispanic internship program is also proving to be among our best answers to building a public service sector more reflective of our diverse citizenry,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio Flores.

“For 10 years, the HACU National Internship Program has been opening new doors to federal job opportunities for our country’s youngest and largest ethnic population,” Flores said. “This program is making a real difference.”

The new report was released today by independent analysts based on a survey of former HACU National Internship Program interns from the years 1993 through 2002. “The HACU National Internship Program is remarkably effective,” the report stated.

“A very high percentage of respondents replied favorably about all the internship quality indicators in the survey. Additionally, the internship program provides a pool from which roughly one-half the interns are made career offers – of which slightly more than one-half are accepted,” according to the report, “Assessing the Effectiveness of the HACU National Internship Program.”

The report, based on a statistical analysis of surveys of former interns from throughout the country, stated “a whopping 94.1 percent indicated the HACU National Internship Program experience helped them make more informed career decisions.” The report said 82 percent of former interns surveyed indicated they would consider a federal career as a direct result of their internship experience.

The report represents the first, formal assessment of the program’s effectiveness based on extensive surveys of program alumni.

The HACU National Internship Program each year places hundreds of eligible Hispanic higher education students in paid summer, fall and spring internships at dozens of federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and at federal agency field offices located throughout the United States.

The competitive program, which this summer celebrated its 10th anniversary, since 1992 has helped more than 3,800 college students develop professionally through meaningful, paid internships with federal agencies and private corporations. More than 600 college students will be participating in paid internships this year alone. Many former interns today are full-time federal employees.

The program was created to directly address the historic under-representation of Hispanics in federal workforce ranks. Hispanics currently represent more than 11 percent of the civilian workforce, but only 6.5 percent of the federal workforce –leaving Hispanics the only under-represented ethnic population in the federal labor force.

The program already has won accolades from the White House and been cited as an effective, proven recruitment tool by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in its Nine-Point Hispanic Employment Initiative addressed to every federal agency. The program also was formally recognized in Congress this summer by formal statements inserted into the Congressional Record.

“What makes the findings of this new report especially timely is that recent reports estimate that more than 50 percent of the current federal workforce will be eligible for retirement within just the next five years,” said HACU National Internship Program Executive Director William Rafael Gil.

“By comparison, Hispanics today make up one of every three new workers joining the labor force overall; by 2050, the country’s youngest and fastest-growing population group is anticipated to comprise one of every two new workers joining the combined federal and civilian workforce,” Gil said. “This program is providing a critically needed means to address this issue with extraordinary results.”

The report said offers of federal jobs, internships or fellowships were made to 59.4 percent of former interns, and that 31.8 percent of those interns said yes. “From a recruitment perspective, the HACU National Internship Program would appear an enviable program,” according to the report by researchers Joel Garcia and Gary McBryde of Texas A&M University at Kingsville.

HACU represents more than 330 member and partner colleges and universities serving the largest concentrations of Hispanic higher education students in the United States.

For more information, contact HACU National Internship Program Executive Director William Rafael Gil at (202) 467-0893/email: wgil@hacu.net. Or visit www.hacu.net.