Hello West Michigan takes
Virtual
On June 18, 2020, Hello West Michigan hosted its 7th annual Intern Connect event. For the first time, this conference was hosted as a webinar, delivering an engaging morning of professional development and real- world advice on life after graduation. The virtual conference covered topics including positive communication in the workplace, how to make working from home work for you, and life advice every young professional needs outside of the office so they can thrive at work. The event proved to be a success, with the live airing reaching nearly 220 interns who represented 46 companies and over 47 colleges. Another new addition to this year’s Intern Connect was Hello West Michigan’s “Champion an Intern” program: an opportunity for people to sponsor an intern’s event ticket. Many college students had their internships cancelled due to financial reasons, lack housing on college campuses, or because their internship could not be done remotely. HelloWest Michigan wanted to help these students continue to grow their professional skills and make connections with West Michigan businesses. Through the community support of this program, 18% of the interns who attended Intern Connect were sponsored with a Champion Ticket. Additionally, this year’s Intern Connect expanded to be a multi-day event, offering five opportunities for interns to virtually connect with West Michigan business professionals during the summer months. These virtual connection events are designed so interns can meet professionals in small groups and have longer conversations, similar to an in-person networking event. Intern Connect is the largest gathering of interns in the region and is designed to educate interns about career opportunities and lifestyle in West Michigan. Interns are a critical part of the talent pipeline for companies, as 49% of internships evolve into full-time employment. If you’re just now learning about the event and missed the live webinar on June 18, tickets are still available to purchase the recorded webinar and gain access to the virtual connection events in August. Visit hellowestmichigan.com/work-here/west-michigan-intern-connect or contact Hello West Michigan Program Manager, Jessica Kuster, to learn more: kusterj@hellowestmichigan.com .
Dr. David Weinandy
14
HELLO WEST MICHIGAN
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