Guest Blogger: Regina Bell

Regina Bell, as executive director of Intern in Michigan, comes to the organization with over 15 years of experience working in the public and private sector. As a committed change agent, she has worked with thought leaders across the state in developing and implementing various programs and initiatives that impact our communities. Regina has fond memories of her own internship experiences and recognizes the role that internships play in retaining talent. Her internship with a state representative led to six years of service as a staff member in the Michigan legislature and set the course for her career path. 


Keeping Michigan Young


Creating new ways to develop, attract and retain talent has been a priority in Michigan for quite some time.  Like in other states, stakeholders in Michigan, representing all facets of the economy, are convening to discuss the brain drain and how to stop the hemorrhaging.  Business Leaders for Michigan has forecasted that the state's economy will grow faster than the U.S. economy over the next six to eighteen months. This is great news, but we recognize that expansion for both large and small companies may be impossible if we don't have the talent that employers are looking for. Because talent is a key driver for economic growth and activity, we will only be successful if we can facilitate the right connections between talent and the needs of employers.

Many employers have found internships to be a gateway to attracting young talent and also to be a long-term solution to their human capital needs. Through internships, employers are able to test-drive new talent with the potential for conversion to full-time employment, cutting time and hiring costs. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 48.8 percent of interns were hired as employees at the companies where they interned, and 88.9 percent of those hires remained after a year and 72.9 percent after five years. 

The importance of internships and the impact they have on the talent pipeline is demonstrated by the many groups that are working to help business connect with talent in Michigan. Organizations including Prima Civitas, the Global Talent Retention Initiative, and the Workforce Intelligence Network have all placed a stake in the ground to secure Michigan's future talent-base. 

Intern in Michigan (IIM), where I serve as executive director, obviously believes in the economic potential of internships and is working closely with these other efforts to provide a scalable solution for employers and students alike. IIM's matching technology instantly connects employers and students to opportunities based on skills, interests and requirements. Since launch in 2011, IIM has helped facilitate over 150,000 connections between students and employers across the state. More than 2,000 employers have used the site to connect with over 20,000 talented internship candidates who want to start their careers in Michigan.

When I reflect on my own experiences, I remember transitioning from an internship into my first full-time career job, which lasted six years. My internship experiences prepared me for my career while introducing me to state politics and the Lansing community. Despite having resided right up the street in East Lansing, my exposure to surrounding communities was non-existent. My internship uncovered a whole new world of friends, contacts and colleagues. I found that I liked it and wanted to stay. 

This is why connecting employees to their environment through place-making is so important. As in my own experience, attraction is only one side of the effort. We must also work to retain young talent. As Lou Glazer has said, creating a sense of place isn't something you do after you grow your economy, it is one of the essentials that you do TO grow the economy. Many groups in Detroit are taking this advice to heart and are building new programming specifically designed to engage young employees in the city. Quicken Loans' summer internship program brings thousands of young workers into the city and is accompanied by significant investments designed to improve the downtown core; Connect After 5's Intern Program has created programming designed to provide young talent with unique activities in Detroit; and the 15×15 initiative led by Hudson Webber is as much about creating a place for the young and talented as it is about employment opportunities and workforce preparation.

Governor Snyder's special message, "Developing and Connecting Michigan's Talent," begins: "In order for our children to stay and thrive in Michigan, we have to provide great educational opportunities, a quality of life that is second to none, and meaningful career options." This sentiment is echoed by the many organizations working to strengthen the state's internships ecosystem and to help create a sense of place for our talented workforce. These solutions and new innovative ideas will mean the difference between successful growth and economic stagnation for our state. As we strive to address the challenges of a rapidly growing economy, I am extremely proud to be working with Intern in Michigan and all of our partners to help move our state forward.