There is no doubt that an internship program can provide hands-on experience and help launch a young person’s career in a specific industry, especially with the growth of STEM related careers. But did you know that internships and internship programs can be just as beneficial for the organization as it is for the intern?
The North Shore of Massachusetts and the surrounding communities can boast a robust internship culture as the region offers thousands of potential internships every year. More and more public, private, and nonprofit organizations are adding internships due to their many advantages including: discovering raw talent, bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the workplace, increasing productivity, and boosting morale all at minimal costs to the organization. It really is a win-win scenario for companies in our highly educated and competitive marketplace.
Why Hire an Intern?
From a students point-of-view, an internship gives them that elusive hands-on training, skills development, and professional connections that they have been looking for to add to their résumé.
Interns add plenty of reciprocal benefits to the workplaces. Let’s take a closer look at both the short and long term advantages of adding a STEM internship to your business this year.
Discovering New Talent
Did you know that about 40% of full-time employees come from a company’s internship program? Your interns could be your hiring pool for positions within your company for the foreseeable future. Hiring an intern to learn and grow with your business, especially in the high-demand STEM fields, can pay off for years to come for hiring managers.
Think about it for a minute. As your organization invests in a bright, young intern, you may be discovering quality talent for your future workforce without the hassle of sifting through résumés and hosting time-consuming interviews. When you hire an intern, you have the advantage of getting to know their innate talents that can help your company for years to come. Since nearly half of paid internships go on to work at that company, your organization has the distinct advantage of getting to know the employee and training them in your specific workflow prior to committing to a full-time position.
Fresh Ideas, New Trends, and Latest Technology
Younger interns hold the unique position of looking at the world with a fresh perspective. High school interns in particular are already immersed in classes that are teaching them the latest technology, understanding current trends, and encouraging fresh ideas. As your company works closely with these interns, you will gain new insights that may change your thinking or augment your current protocols. Add to that the fact that most young people today acquire technical know-how easily, you may have a chance to learn from them, not just the other way around.
Increase Productivity
One of the aspects that many businesses don’t really anticipate (that inevitably happens) when hiring an intern, is an increase in productivity. In fact, many businesses anticipate quite the opposite in that they will need to carve out a bit of time for training and mentoring an intern.
The truth is, as team members get involved in training and working with a fresh, enthusiastic team member, like an intern, it can boost not only their morale but also their level of productivity. Sharing knowledge has the capability of igniting enthusiasm and knowledge sharing as a whole within your organization.
Minimal Cost
According to a recent study, interns are a cost-effective resource. As an example, with minimum wage at $13.50 an hour x10 hours per week for 10 weeks = $1350.00! Offer them a 6 week internship and it will cost you $810. Or think about what would work best for you!
Internships are beneficial to both the intern and the organization involved in the program. Talk to our team at MassHires about how you can get started, including assistance from one of our dedicated staff members throughout the hiring and employment period of the intern. Open up a world of benefits through hosting a STEM intern this year.
If you are interested in hiring an intern this year contact Nancy Tracy at ntracy@masshire-nscareers.org
