Austin Schneib and Jacob Whitfield, seniors at Lanphier High School and the Capital Area Career Center Collision Repair Technology program, have completed their semester-long internships at Zara’s Collision Center in Springfield, Ill., and have been offered positions with the business.

“The collision repair industry offers an attractive employment option for young people entering the workforce,” said Brad Zara, president of Zara’s Collision Center. “This is the case even more so when you consider student loan debt and the challenges of finding a job for many college graduates in their field of study. We’re pleased to offer internships that are steppingstones to a skilled career path.”

Schneib, who served as a paint prep apprentice, will transition to a full-time position at Zara’s after graduation and will join the detail department.

Whitfield completed Zara’s body technician apprenticeship and will work at the collision center this summer. In the fall, he will attend barber school and Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, where he will be enrolled in the auto body program. Whitfield was named Student of the Year for Capital Area Career Center’s Collision Repair Technology program and was a candidate for the career center’s overall Student of the Year.