Eighteen postgraduate students from Taiwan will arrive in two months to work as interns for local businesses. The internship program through Boise State University runs through late May, by which time the students will have offered the businesses their insights on international trade, marketing strategies and products. The program also gives the interns a brief taste of Idaho and its employers.

Fourteen local employers have signed up for this spring’s crew of interns. They range from technology-related companies like MarkMonitor, which offers online brand protection, to health care businesses and a company that makes bicycle parts. Hosts in the past have included the Idaho Candy Co. and Moxie Java.

There’s still time for three to five more companies to sign up, and the program needs to identify those businesses soon.

The requirements: To host an intern, the business must be located in Boise. Bill Boyer, a consultant for the Idaho Small Business Development Center, says the participating business also must have:

• Space for the intern to work.

• Someone who can supervise the intern.

• A clear job description for the internship.

• Goals for the intern to achieve.

Mentors for the students are provided. The Treasure Valley SCORE chapter offers free, volunteer mentoring during the internship. The employers who host Taiwan interns pay nothing for the program, and the students receive assistance from their government, Boyer says.

Want to sign up? If your business could benefit from a new pair of eyes and international trade advice, Boyer invites you to email him at williamboyer@boisestate.edu or call 426-3510.

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Audrey Dutton: 377-6448