Sacramento State students can participate in a summer internship program that provides the real-world business experience needed for the job market.

The Summer Management Program is an internship opportunity for college students to run a branch of a house painting business. The company originated in Canada and relocated to Walnut Creek a several years ago.

Through the program, students manage employees, deal with customers and handle responsibilities that go with running your own business. This helps students gain experience in an actual business situation before graduating, said Brian Teal, a student who participated in the program last summer.

“At 20, 21 years old I never imagined I would have been handling what I did with this internship,” Teal said. “I was the boss of about 15 people and dealing with customers who are paying me $3,000 to $7,000 to make their house look beautiful.”

Teal said the support available for students participating in the internship insures a productive learning experience.

“There is a ton of support from the company with many training and support managers who are always there to make sure everyone is as successful as possible,” Teal said.

More than 10,000 students apply for the 100 available positions in the program each year. The internship company has been participating in the program for more than 21 years.

For more information on the Summer Management Program, students can visit www.varsitystudent.com.