Economic Opportunity Policy Internship

CPPP’s Vision and Core Purpose: The Center for Public Policy Priorities believes in a Texas that offers everyone the chance to compete and succeed in life. We envision a Texas where everyone is healthy, well‐educated, and financially secure. We want the best Texas – a proud state that sets the bar nationally by expanding opportunity for all. CPPP is an independent public policy organization that uses data and analysis to advocate for solutions that enable Texans of all backgrounds to reach their full potential. Join us! Overview of the Economic Opportunity Team The Economic Opportunity Team advocates for a comprehensive set of strategies that link the importance of educational attainment and securing a good paying job to the advancement of savings and asset-building initiatives. This comprehensive LEARN, EARN and SAVE approach allows us to focus on the interconnected drivers of financial stability and wealth inequality. Internship Description This paid internship is a unique opportunity to gain expertise in a variety of the Economic Opportunity Team’s policy areas. The majority of the intern’s time will be spent on the team’s good jobs and college savings work. This position may also assist with several other policy priorities of the Economic Opportunity Team, including education and workforce development policies. The selected applicant will help the Center write briefs on policies to expand access to good jobs, as well as support the development of a college savings program in one Texas community. Specific tasks may include: • Researching policies to expand access to good jobs; • Researching best practices for college savings programs; • Supporting the development of a community-based college saving program; • Writing short briefs or blog posts on various policy topics; • Assisting with Economic Opportunity Team program communications; • May assist with managing and analyzing education and workforce data sets; and, • Other necessary tasks as they arise. The Economic Policy Intern will have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, CPPP staff members who oversee various policy, development, and communications activities, and acquire an understanding of how a non-profit policy organization works. As the Center does not employ any dedicated clerical staff, interns (and policy staff alike) are expected to do their own clerical work and on occasion help out with team preparations for Center events, etc. Our interns have gone on to hold meaningful positions immediately following their work with CPPP. Their positions have included work in the public (e.g., clerk for the Human Services Committee in the Texas House of Representatives), university (e.g., University of Texas Post-Doctoral Fellow evaluating the Texas Home Visiting Program), private (e.g., analyst for Maximus; associate at Chemonics, a contracting firm for USAID international projects), and non-profit sectors (e.g., Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, MD). Dates of Internship: Spring internship program dates are June 1, 2017 through August 18, 2017. Actual start and end dates are flexible. Depending on funding, we may also have Fall 2017 internships. Minimum Qualifications: • A keen interest and curiosity in social policy research and analysis affecting low-income Texans; • Ability to synthesize complex ideas into concise and compelling prose tailored to a specific audience; • Experience conducting literature reviews and other background research for specific topic areas; • Strong organizational, social, written, proofreading, and oral communication skills; • Organized and detail-oriented while working on a wide range of tasks; • Demonstrated aptitude working with Excel spreadsheets and creating presentations using PowerPoint; and • Experience conducting basic statistical analyses (means, percentages, confidence intervals, standard deviation, etc.) Salary: Intern will be paid in accordance with the Center’s normal payroll practices and will be subject to the usual, required withholding. • Graduate Students - $15/hour for up to 40 hours per week • Undergraduate Students - $12/hour for up to 40 hours per week As a temporary employee, an intern is entitled to CPPP’s paid holidays if a holiday falls on a day she/he would otherwise have worked. Interns are not entitled to any other employee benefits such as sick and vacation leave, health and life insurance, employer-sponsored pension, and cell phone reimbursements. Citizenship: Open to international students with temporary employment authorization. Location: Center for Public Policy Priorities, 7020 Easy Wind Dr., Ste. 200, Austin, TX 78752 (same building as Black Star Co-op, at the Crestview metro station). The Center for Public Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer.