The Lehigh Valley Internship Summit focuses on internships, which are a tried-and-true way for employers to address one of their top priorities, attracting new talent. But there are other avenues to attract young talent, too, that were also explored at this summer’s event.
Job shadowing, co-ops, and externships may be more suitable for some students and roles, providing career exploration and forging connections with employers. 
Those alternatives to internships were the focus of a panel discussion at the recent Lehigh Valley Internship Summit, presented by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in partnership with the region’s colleges and universities.
The panel was moderated by Mercedes Kopack, Freizer at C.F. Martin & Co. Panelists were Toby Borcoman, Chief People Officer & VP of HR at Tyber Medical LLC; Nick Tenzycki, Manufacturing Specialist and former co-op at Tyber Medical LLC; Louis Holzman, Director of Business Development at Altitude Marketing; and Jonathan Manning, Marketing Automation Coordinator and former intern at Altitude Marketing.
“The success of Tyber Medical is absolutely relatable to the co-op program,” Borcoman said.
Tyber Medical’s co-op program began when the company was ramping up and looking for machinists and operators. Borcoman went to Lehigh Career & Technical Institute and talked to students.
“They were all eager. And it was wonderful because they knew what they wanted to do already,” he said.
Tenzycki was among the LCTI students who participated in co-ops at Tyber after hearing Borcoman’s pitch. He said Borcoman made “a great presentation to show that there's a future in things like manufacturing. And he opened the window to show that even though you may not know exactly what you want to do now, that if you're working for the right place, they're going to find a fit for you.”
Tenzycki said Tyber’s “professor-level” employees were eager to help and guide him. As he progressed, he took on more responsibility.
“I started more with the day-to-day operations - the paperwork, the loading, unloading, the operation of the machines. And once I got comfortable with my team, and I kind of honed my skills in that area, I was able to move on to more of the technical side.”
That put him into a position to become a team lead when he joined Tyber Medical full-time after graduation.
Altitude Marketing connects with colleges and high schools and offers job shadowing opportunities where students can learn what a workday is like in digital marketing, Holzman said. Students are exposed to all facets of Altitude’s operation and have a chance to observe and ask questions.
“That’s pretty impactful,” he said.
Altitude Marketing participates in career fairs at colleges and universities, and the staff make time to talk with students who are trying to determine if digital marketing is right for them. They explain what certifications would be helpful for students to obtain, and how the company reviews resumes.
“We’re happy to take some time with people that are proactive, looking to take their next step,” Holzman said.
Manning, who started at Altitude Marketing as an intern while at Kutztown University, meets one-on-one with job shadowing students to offer insights and answer questions.
Kopack asked the panelists what students and companies gain from experiences such as co-ops.
Manning said students learn how to manage the stress of a workplace, and how to communicate with their managers about those stresses. Tenzycki said students get to try out the career they are considering and determine if it’s a good fit.
Borcoman said mentors such as himself at companies must be themselves and be honest, “not trying to tell them what they want to hear, just tell them what you know.”
The Lehigh Valley Internship Summit was held July 23 at DeSales University. This was the sixth annual event, which was created to foster discussion and collaboration about internships.
The Host Sponsor was DeSales University. Penn State Lehigh Valley was a Gold Sponsor. Silver Sponsors were Barry Isett & Associates, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Manufacturers Resource Center, and Univest.
The keynote presentation, “Generations in the Workplace,” was delivered by Dr. Nicole Loyd, Executive Vice President for University Life, Chief Operating Officer, and Dean of Students at Moravian University.
Dr. Carl Sheperis, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies at Kutztown University, presented: “The intersection of AI and Internships: Opportunities and Challenges.”
A second panel discussion, “Supporting the Whole Intern,” was moderated by Katelyn Mack, President of LINC, with panelists Cheryl Hopkins, Director, Tax, at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Emma MacIsaac, a former intern and now associate at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Caroline Ferreri, Talent Acquisition Partner at Crayola; and Liz Krasinski, Research & Development Co-op at Crayola.
Read about that panel discussion here and read more about the Lehigh Valley Internship Summit here.
The summit is supplemented by a published Internship Resource Guide that includes a directory of internship contacts at Lehigh Valley colleges, universities, and technical schools.
(Photos by Rick Kintzel)