With internships a proven way for employers to build a workforce, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) has published an updated guide with information on how to start, manage, and grow a meaningful internship program. 
The Internship Resource Guide is updated annually in collaboration with Lehigh Valley’s colleges and universities and career and technical schools, as part of Lehigh Valley’s award-winning talent strategies initiatives.
“A successful internship can be the beginning of a lasting relationship between a student and an employer,” said Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC Vice President of Talent Strategies. “By giving employers the tools to build effective internship programs, this guide can help strengthen the Lehigh Valley’s talent pipeline and create more career opportunities for students.”
Internships provide employers with opportunities to identify and develop future talent, while offering students on-the-job experience and mentoring, along with the ability to network and learn soft skills such as how to work as part of a team.
The Internship Resource Guide includes:
- Guidance, best practices, and checklists for creating, structuring, and evaluating an internship program
- Strategies for how to recruit interns and intern job posting samples
- A directory of Lehigh Valley colleges, universities, and career and technical schools with points of contact for career development professionals and insight into the majors that offer internships
- Characteristics of successful internship programs
- Benefits of paid vs. unpaid internships
- Information on virtual internships and micro-internships
The Internship Resource Guide also provides information that employers can use to determine whether they are prepared to manage an internship program, how they can benefit from having an intern, and how an intern would benefit from working for them.
The 36-page guide is available to download at no cost on LVEDC’s website, here. Printed copies are available upon request.