Win-Win for both Employee & Student
HS & College Students July 23rd, 2007I was reading an article that really piqued my interest about the success of 640 student internships in Minneapolis through a program in partnership with the city of Minneapolis called “Step Up.” Students aged 16–21 were placed in internships with about 140 metro-area employers.
“Kafiya Ahmed had just turned 16 years old when she started her first internship through Step-Up at public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Bloomington office. The internship wasn’t just Ahmed’s first experience in an office; it was her first job ever.
‘I always spent my summers doing pretty much nothing,’ she said.
That summer three years ago, the lessons on professional life began with the basics.
‘One of the first things I learned was how to shake someone’s hand properly, which I know sounds trivial but comes in kind of handy,’ Ahmed said, unintentionally making a pun.
Ahmed said she also picked up valuable computer skills and some office communication tips, like how to get the most information while asking the fewest questions.
In the years since, Ahmed, who graduated from Roosevelt High School this spring, has become something of a poster child for the Step-Up program.
Last summer, she earned an internship in Rybak’s office. This summer, she has her own cubicle on the 23rd floor of the US Bank Building Downtown where she is interning for the assistant to US Bancorp CEO Richard Davis, one of the first business leaders to buy into Rybak’s vision for a summer internship program.
‘Kids need some real experience in jobs that reflect their interests,’ said David Brant, Step-Up director. ‘We really give kids an opportunity to explore who they are.’”
What are the benefits for employers?
- While students learn to operate in an office environment alongside adults, their employers learn a thing or two about the work force of the future.
- It is argued that businesses that welcome a diverse workforce will have an edge in the increasingly global marketplace.
- “For many of these kids, they’ve never been in a Downtown office building,” Brant said. “… [Step-Up] opens up a whole lot of doors and [offers them] new ways to look at the world.”
If you have a teenager who is interested in an internship or you are an employer that is interested in providing an internship in the Traverse City, Michigan area, please contact me. I work with students so that they know their strengths, interests and personality traits. Also, I work with companies to identify teenagers that would work well for them. Next, I work with matching students and companies. It is a win-win situation. Please write me if you are interested or if you have any questions.
