SPOKANE, WA: The Spokane Workforce Council (SWC) announces the launch of its new Internship Guide, created in response to local business needs. The guide is a web-based platform designed to assist local businesses in developing and managing their own internship programs. It also offers guidance regarding best practices on internship selection and management, access to laws and policies, tools for easily communicating with and managing interns, an onboarding guide, timesheets and more.
“Internships offer businesses a vital tool to enhance their recruitment strategies,” says Mark Mattke, CEO of the Spokane Workforce Council. “Interns become the next generation of full-time employees and have already learned important job skills and quickly add to the bottom line. More businesses are recognizing that they can develop their own workforce pipeline while helping younger workers explore career opportunities.”
To coincide with the launch of the tool, the SWC is joined by the City of Spokane and Spokane County in launching a 2019 Summer Internship Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to encourage local businesses to use the new guide and hire one or more interns this summer. “Preparing our young people for successful full-time work is important for the future of our families, our businesses, and our community,” says Spokane Mayor David Condon. “We have extensive educational options in our City that will only be enhanced by greater access to real-life internship experiences.”
Participating businesses will be entered into an awards pool. Based upon ratings from their own interns, the business designated as the best place to work in 2019 for interns will receive an award package worth approximately $10,000, which will include:
- Honored at a variety of SWC, City of Spokane and/or Spokane County events,
- Honorary gold-level sponsorship of 2020 KHQ-WorkSource job fair (attended by approximately 1500 job seekers and 115 businesses),
- Honorary gold-level sponsorship of 2020 Next Gen Job Fair (attended by approximately 300 young adult job seekers and 50 businesses),
- Large “thank you” ad in Journal of Business,
- Honorary Joseph Gift donation in business name, and
- Honorary Career Explore NW video about business that will play on KSPS in 2019/2020.
Find the Internship Guide platform at spokane-internshipguide.com. Contact Shannon Brundle with any questions on how to utilize the platform at sbrundle@wdcspokane.com.
