Increase Internship Diversity with Project Onramp

Many undergraduates from low-income backgrounds are not aware of the breadth of career paths in the pharma industry, nor do they have access to information about available summer opportunities.  This is where Project Onramp comes in. Project Onramp sources paid summer internships for students who are under-resourced and often from under-represented groups or first-generation – helping to bridge the opportunity gap for these promising young people.   These summer internships allow students to access relevant work experience, explore career paths, and build professional networks.  According to a 2021 study conducted by The Boston Foundation, students who completed at least one internship had significantly higher rates of achieving a BA-level occupation upon graduation.

How does the process work?  Project Onramp partners with host companies to commit or create internships for these high-performing students. Operating companies can set aside an established internship for Onramp candidates or create new positions for Onramp to fill. Internships are not limited to STEM-related roles—Project Onramp also matches companies with talented candidates interested in business development, administration, HR, finance, IT, marketing, etc. Project Onramp sends multiple resumes for each internship position, and companies can use their existing review and hiring processes to choose the student who best fits their needs. This year, Project Onramp students are open to on-site roles, as well as remote-work internship positions.

Project Onramp is an industry initiative supported by MassBio, Life Science Cares, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), MassBio Ed, and Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI).  As a Project Onramp partner, the MLSC will reimburse companies with fewer than 100 employees for their intern’s summer compensation.  There is no fee associated with being part of Project Onramp, the team works with companies on an individual hiring timeline that works for the company.

To learn more about Project Onramp, explore the Project Onramp website or contact lila@lifesciencecares.org. This is an opportunity to join the 88 life science companies who have partnered with Project Onramp to date!