Internships are a proven way to build a pipeline of talent, but the types of guidance businesses need evolves over time according to their size and expertise with hosting interns. The 7th Annual Lehigh Valley Internship Summit will feature tailored advice to help businesses of all sizes succeed with their programs.
The summit, July 23 at DeSales University, is presented by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) in partnership with the Lehigh Valley’s colleges and universities. There is no cost to attend the Internship Summit, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is required. Register here.
Andrea Reger, Manager, Career Navigation, at St. Luke’s University Health Network, will share information for how large businesses can grow internship programs. That includes how to describe the program to potential applicants; how to measure results; and how to achieve the goal of converting interns to employees.
Two executives at Gross McGinley LLP, Managing Director Deb Faulkinberry and Human Resources Manager Christina Andersen, will share information to help small businesses create and grow an internship program. That includes how an internship program can help build talent, how to get buy-in from employees and management, and how to start and then sustain a program.
The keynote speaker at the Internship Summit will be Carly Chase, an Adjunct Professor teaching entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School.
She also is a Vice President at U.S. News & World Report, in charge of building out their new career business vertical. Her keynote address will share research done in that role about what interns are seeking from their internships.
The summit will also include informative panel discussions on subjects that are critical for internships today and in the future.
One panel will highlight the impacts of artificial intelligence, including how Lehigh Valley employers are leveraging the technology, and what AI skills employers are looking for interns to bring.
Participants will include Mool Choo Chuah, a Professor at Lehigh University. The discussion will be moderated by John Bloys, a strategic advisor on AI and emerging technologies.
Another panel will share insights on the day-to-day management of internships, including how to ensure a program helps interns to develop professionally and grow their skills.
Participants on that panel will include Sharon Castano, Senior Recruiting Specialist at PPL Corporation, and Jake Christman, a former intern and current Interconnections Engineer I at PPL, and Dani Hance, Enterprise Experience Manager at J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., and Bryahna Stanat, Operations Intern at J.B. Hunt.
The discussion will be moderated by Dominic Baio, a student at Penn State Lehigh Valley who is pursuing a dual major in Business Management & Marketing and Project Supply Chain Management.
The Internship Summit will conclude with roundtable discussions on a variety of key topics for successful internship programs.
Crayola is Presenting Sponsor of the 7th Annual Internship Summit. DeSales University is Host Sponsor. Moravian University is a Gold Sponsor. Silver Sponsors are Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Muhlenberg College; Northampton Community College; St. Luke's University Health Network; Univest Financial; and Victaulic.
Sponsorship opportunities remain available. For more information, contact LVEDC Marketing Administrator Annie Hollands Lanscek at alanscek@lehighvalley.org. LVEDC’s talent work is made possible by the generous support of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
An annual Internship Resources Guide is published by LVEDC to share information about internship programs, how to create and evaluate a program, and current trends in programs. It includes a directory of the region’s colleges, universities, and career and technical schools.
Both the Internship Summit and Internship Resources Guide are supported by LVEDC’s Education and Talent Supply Council, which connects leaders from business, education, and community organizations to identify talent market gaps and implement strategies that strengthen the talent pipeline.
View a video about the 2023 Internship Summit here.