Entry by Pat Patterson
As I have stressed numerous times, internships are invaluable experiences for both students and employers. After Indiana INTERNnet was established, some regions realized the necessity to create their own additional programs to promote the significance of internships. From a statewide perspective, Indiana internships are being promoted by Indiana INTERNnet and its regional partners. Valued partners such as the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber’s Graduate Retention Program use Indiana INTERNnet’s technology platform to facilitate internship matches among students and employers.
The Graduate Retention Program is a business/education partnership facilitated by the Workforce & Business Development Division of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce:
The Graduate Retention Program is designed to attract and retain college and high school graduates in Northeast Indiana. Our strategy is to increase awareness of area employers by promoting the development of meaningful internships for college and high school students.
As Mike Landram, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber President, believes, “In current economic times, using talented workforce is essential. Utilizing interns is the premium business strategy. Seeing interns operate in their corporate culture will determine if they are capable to do a full-time job. It is a cost-effective arrangement. We saw repeated success in companies deploying the strategy to their advantage.”
You can learn more about the Graduate Retention Program in the August INTERNnetwork.
We are glad to have the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber’s Graduate Retention Program aiding us in our mission to decrease Indiana’s “brain drain.” If you are an employer in Northeast Indiana, we encourage you to contact the Graduate Retention Team. Have you connected with your regional internship team?
Fort Wayne Graduate Retention Team: Marlene LeMon, Kelly Arnold, Tanya Young, and Andy Schemm
