West Michigan’s largest intern event returns in person

9^th annual Intern Connect connects summer interns with businesses & community

(GRAND RAPIDS, MI)—Hello West Michigan, the regional talent attraction and retention organization behind West Michigan Intern Connect, is hosting a summer engagement series for local interns. The program, now in its ninth year, is a combination of in-person and virtual events, plus digital resources aimed at helping interns connect with the community, their peers, and local employers. The goal of the program is to retain talented young graduates in West Michigan. 

The flagship event of the West Michigan Intern Connect program is a half-day professional development conference. It will be held in-person on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 12:30 – 6:00 p.m. Topics covered during the conference will include a personal finance primer, a student moderated panel of recruiters, and a young professional panel discussing real talk on adulting. Katherine Baker, Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Meijer, will lead the keynote conversation titled “Believe to Achieve: Learn How to Turn Your Concerns into Confidence in the Workplace.” 

Intern Connect is open to any student or young professional. Tickets for Intern Connect cost $30 and can be purchased up to the date of the event. Interns can register individually at www.hellowestmichigan.com/internconnect or check with their college Career Services office to see if tickets are available. 

“At Padnos, we want our interns to have a really robust experience, not only learning our business but growing as young professionals,” said Whitney Wright, HR Manager at Padnos. “Since Intern Connect is a summer-long program employers can tap into, it helps our company offer a really enriching experience, with minimal planning and investment on our part.” 

In addition to the half-day virtual conference, Intern Connect registrants have access to an exclusive series of virtual connection events held throughout the summer, plus receive The Intern Inform, a weekly eNewsletter to help keep them engaged all summer long. The virtual events will be held on the following dates:

• Wednesday, June 22, 2022
• Wednesday, July 6, 2022
• Wednesday, July 20, 2022
• Wednesday, August 3, 2022

“College-educated talent is mobile, and the pandemic has only increased the awareness of that fact,” said Rachel Gray, Executive Director of Hello West Michigan. “Now more than ever, new grads have a choice on where they live. If West Michigan is going to keep up with forecasted economic demand, we need to attract talent of all ages. Intern Connect is one way we can showcase the region to young people and encourage them to stay here, either after graduation or at the end of the summer with a job offer.” 

Companies are encouraged to make the event part of their summer program and do group registration, which can be set up by contacting Hello West Michigan directly. Employers looking for entry-level talent or their next round of interns are invited to host an employer table or sponsor a session. 

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About Hello West Michigan
Started by local companies in 2007, Hello West Michigan promotes the West Michigan region as a place where business thrives, and people want to live and work. It seeks to increase the rate of success member companies have in their efforts to recruit top talent and collaborates with organizations across the region to help new residents and those interested in relocating find their fit in West Michigan.