Gaining Connection through Summer Internships

In the face of workforce labor shortages, how a business presents itself to young professionals is more important than ever. How a community presents themselves is equally, if not more, important. Talent attraction and retention cannot belong to just the industry employers, but must be owned by the community at large, which is why the Chamber’s Talent & Education team has a strong focus on fostering connections to the community for prospective talent.

Rising Current, an offering of the Current Young Professionals (CYP) program and sponsored by American Foods Group, is the newest effort focused on creating deeper connections personally and professionally for our seasonal workers. We know that each year local businesses work tirelessly through spring, recruiting young talent to come and spend the summer months gaining experience in Greater Green Bay. Rising Current adds additional experiences to a basic internship that include networking, professional development, and social connections.

Key factors of importance to A young professional:

• Personal connection to social networks - We aim to connect them to existing Greater Green Bay residents by tying events into CYP events.
• Professional opportunities - Every event has networking built-in and for the full package, we’re providing professional development opportunities to show your interns that we’re invested in their growth.
• Connection to the community - Your interns will experience different areas of Greater Green Bay through event participation, especially the Rising Current scavenger hunt, incentivizing them to explore Greater Green Bay on their own as well.

According to a CYP member survey, employer support is the number one reason why young professionals get involved in the program, with over 50% of those taking the survey identifying as community transplants. Additionally, 35% indicated involvement in a young professional group had a positive impact on their decision to stay in Greater Green Bay.

We already know the positive impact our existing CYP program is having on the young professionals in our community. Our goal is to take that impact to the next level and begin engaging the younger wave of professionals, providing them more reasons to consider living, working, and staying in Greater Green Bay for the long term.

Ready to engage your interns in Rising Current? Contact Christine Gunderson with any questions or click over to the Rising Current webpage.