Indiana Interns Encouraged to Attend Free, Virtual Professional Development Events Beginning Next Week
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, in collaboration with the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce, is hosting seven free virtual professional development sessions for high school and college students interning at organizations throughout Indiana as part of the Regional Internship Program for Employers. The series kicks off next week with the inaugural session on Thursday, June 3, and students are encouraged to register for any of the events at www.neindiana.com/regionalinternships.
Sonya Snellenberger-Holm, director of talent initiatives at the Regional Partnership, said a study by Battelle Technology Partnership Practice reported that one work experience opportunity increases a student’s likelihood of living in Indiana after graduation to 58 percent. Four work experience opportunities increase that likelihood to 75 percent.
“Our Regional Internship Program supports Northeast Indiana employers’ talent needs by continually cultivating and engaging the growing group of interns working in the region each year. As an additional benefit, internships give regional employers and their staff the opportunity to become more engaged at work, experience a new role and work with individuals on other teams,” said Snellenberger-Holm.
The professional development sessions address a variety of topics essential to students developing skills and talents in preparation for the workforce. Session dates and topics:
- June 3 – Intern 101 and Manager Meetup
- June 10 – Mental Health Awareness
- June 17 – Crucial Conversations
- June 24 – Implicit Bias
- July 8 – Discover Indiana
- July 22 – Resume and Job Search
- July 29 – National Intern Day
Through virtual breakout sessions, presentations from experts, panelist discussions with seasoned professionals and robust question and answer sessions, students can explore how to stand out to prospective employers and learn skills to prepare for their future internship or job search.
Executive Director of Education and Workforce at the South Bend Regional Chamber Kate Lee said the Chamber works directly with employers and interns to increase the quantity and quality of experiential learning opportunities.
“We’re excited about collaborating with the Regional Partnership to reach more interns across the state. These virtual events are designed to introduce interns to interesting people, places and opportunities as they explore their future in Indiana,” said Lee.
The Regional Partnership has hosted the Professional Development Series as part of the Regional Internship Program for Employers for four years. Last year, the organization served more than 250 students from 48 employers. Collectively, the students represented 66 different educational institutions and came from across the nation and the world including countries like China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam as well as states like Utah, Connecticut, New York City and Iowa.
To learn more or to register, visit the website at www.neindiana.com/regionalinternships.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s mission is to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. Founded in 2006, the public-private partnership strives to build a globally competitive region. The Partnership’s Vision 2030 framework supports collaborative regional efforts to increase per capita income, population growth and educational attainment by focusing on business attraction, talent attraction and talent development. In 2019, the Partnership launched the Make It Your Own brand for talent retention, attraction and development. The Partnership represents 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. For more information, visit www.neindiana.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com
