Intern in Michigan site attracts 10,000 students; more growth ahead

Intern in Michigan is looking to focus on two things in its second year – increasing participation and improving the technology that facilitates said participation. The bottom line is to not only staunch Michigan’s brain drain but to also attract the next generation of workers to local employers.”It’s a very savvy strategy for them to attract top talent,” says Britany Affolter, director of Intern in Michigan.The Detroit Regional Chamber initiative has attracted 10,000 students and nearly 900 employers to its website. So far more than 500 internships have been listed and/or posted on the site.And that’s from using the first generation of software. Intern in Michigan plans to upgrade its software this year so it can build individual websites for companies that want to post internships. These sites would explain what the companies are all about and what they offer.It’s part of a tech outreach program the chamber is pushing. The idea is to make it easier for local businesses to utilize the site and bring on more interns.”So it can truly handle the capability of 25,000 internship applications within five years,” Affolter says.The chamber is also launching a new pilot program this spring called D.E.T. for Discover, Engage, Transform. The program will educate interns on how and why Michigan, particularly Metro Detroit, is the ideal place for them to stay. It will give the interns a better understanding and knowledge of the region while allowing them to network with more professionals outside of their workplace and make contacts in other fields. Source: Britany Affolter, director of Intern in MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke