These days swapping even just one summer of lazing around by the pool for an internship can mean the difference between students moving back in with their parents or becoming a contributing member of society. According to a Harris Interactive survey more than 80 percent of employers want the college graduates they hire to have completed a formal internship.
Beyond making students employable, internships can also help them feel ready and more excited about their careers – something that can make a big difference in STEM jobs. Only 44 percent of students who don’t intern consider themselves ready for the job market, whereas 70 percent of students who complete paid internships feel confident in their readiness.
At Genesis Plastics Welding, our commitment to getting the future generation ready and excited about a career in advanced manufacturing continues year-round. Summer may be a distant memory, but Genesis intern Matthew Fields is still gaining hands-on experience every day.
Fields came to Genesis through Employment Aid Readiness Network (EARN) Indiana and Indiana InternNet, who match students and employers in order to maximize each student’s academic success and career aspirations, while helping employers like us find the perfect fit for our team. Fields, who is currently in the process of earning his engineering technology degree from Purdue College of Technology in Anderson, began the summer working with Operations Manager Dale Wagner on machine setup and maintenance. He has since moved over to R&D to work on projects that correlate better with his schooling.
“Working on R&D projects is exciting because most of what I am working on uses concepts I’ve been familiar with from class, but I’ve never actually had the opportunity to engage those skills,” said Fields. “Every day I’m learning something new and building my skill set.”
Since making the switch to R&D, Fields has worked on part samples for one of the world’s leading medical device manufacturers, as well as assisting Genesis’ engineering team on production of a hyperbaric oxygen hood.
“I’m currently working on a project with Materials Engineer Elizabeth Malola, who is teaching me how to find ways of improving processes and tooling,” said Fields. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s also so fun to come up with ways to make products better and get closer to achieving a more desirable result.”
Having an internship program not only helps students gain the skills needed by manufacturing employers like Genesis, but it also allows them to find a passion for STEM careers.
“Matt has been doing so well. He shows interest, fully understands before proceeding and takes special care in the work he does while finding joy in every task – painful or not,” said Elizabeth Malola. “I feel that my role in Genesis enhances the move to bring an interest in STEM jobs to younger people. By exposing students to what I know, I’ve already seen the difference it makes in how they do their job and even piece together information from other people’s jobs. It feels good to make such an impact in their lives.”
Through programs like EARN Indiana, Genesis is able to invest in the future workforce of Indiana and play a role in combatting the skills gap. As a globally competitive, locally owned Indiana manufacturer, Genesis is well positioned to pass along viable skills that get students ready and excited to work in a thriving industry.
“Going through this internship program has been extremely beneficial to me. Not only have I been earning a paycheck while gaining knowledge and experience, but I have also made important industry connections,” said Fields. “I would certainly encourage any future engineer to be assertive and go out and look for quality internships. It would just be silly not to.”