Meet the Flinterns: How an Immersive Internship Program in Flint, MI, is Shifting Perceptions & Fueling Talent Attraction
Guest Writer: Brianna Mosier, Director of Organizational Development, Flint & Genesee Group
For the past few years, Flint & Genesee Group has been exploring talent attraction and retention efforts for our region. One opportunity we identified early on was engaging with college students who intern in the community for the summer. We believe that college students and recent graduates are more likely to start their careers here when they can envision opportunity in their chosen fields, develop connections, find resources, and experience what makes Flint & Genesee unique.
Enter: the Flinterns!
The Flinterns program brings together interns from all over Genesee County and is modeled after intern enrichment programs happening elsewhere in the county and state. For example, Hello West Michigan, a close strategic partner of ours, runs a similar program called Intern Connect.
For Flint & Genesee, we knew that this program had to be extremely personalized, focused on dispelling the myths of what interns think they know about Flint and Genesee.
So, in 2021, we piloted the program for the first time. Given the pandemic, the experience was held mostly in a virtual setting. However, we received only positive feedback from participating employers and interns, so we knew we were going to bring it back in 2022.
“‘Wow, I had no idea that was here.’ These are the moments that we hope to facilitate through the Flinterns program.”
Last month, we kicked things off with a day-long, immersive experience spent visiting local attractions, hearing from local speakers and networking with other interns. This served as a nice introduction for our group of nearly 20 students, who will participate in a professional development lunch & learn series throughout the remainder of the program. By the end of the summer, we hope that participants will walk away with a better understanding of themselves as they prepare to enter the workforce, as well as the opportunities that exist right here in our community.
The Flintern program aligns directly with Flint & Genesee Group’s commitment to attracting and retaining talent to help build a thriving economy and community in Flint & Genesee. It also builds off the vision and action agenda described in the county-wide Forward Together: A Shared Vision for Economic Prosperity. While increasing net in-migration is a common problem across the state, a local talent shortage may impede the region’s future economic prosperity. To recognize Genesee County as a place where our young workforce can be successful, we must help foster the relationships that incoming talent needs to succeed.
Program participants come to us from all over. While several interns are originally from the area and attend school in our community, others come with no previous connection or idea of what to expect in Flint & Genesee. These interns are left to assume they know our region by what they read in the headlines or see on Netflix, which can ultimately be a determining factor for whether they choose to peruse an opportunity in our area.
However, we know that those who explore our community are in for many experiences that make them think, “Wow, I had no idea that was here.” These are the moments that we hope to facilitate through the Flinterns program.
For one intern, that moment might happen while getting to know another intern over coffee at Café Rhema, or while exploring the second largest art museum in our state, Flint Institute of Arts. Our hands-on interns might find their surprise and inspiration at our local makers space, Factory Two. Others might appreciate the beauty and connection to nature while walking the grounds of Applewood Estate, the former home of Charles Stewart Mott, a co-founder of General Motors.
We pride ourselves on being a community full of diverse experiences and lifestyles, and this immersive experience gives the participants a little taste of everything. Our hope is that they’ll find the elements of our community that speak to them the most, and remember that experience when considering post-grad employment in Flint & Genesee.
Creating a personalized talent attraction program was one of the elements that immediately drew us to working with RoleCall, and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store. But for now, we’re doing what we can with boots on the ground, and remembering that every single interaction matters. Whether your community has 20 interns or 300 interns, start now! And if you need someone to brainstorm with, I’m just an email away.
