Tips, Quips and Tallies

The Graduate Retention Program: Year 5
by Marlene LeMon

The Graduate Retention Program of the Chamber is designed to promote employer/student connections through internship opportunities in Northeast Indiana. Since 2004, more than 1,700 internships from Northeast Indiana have been advertised on the Indiana INTERNnet (IIN), and more than 550 employers have registered on the website. Employers benefit when talented students plug into local businesses. (The IIN is a statewide website set up exclusively for promoting internships in Indiana.)

In September, 2009, the Graduate Retention team completed program results reporting for Year Five. Statistics of general interest are as follows:

• 450 internships were advertised on the Indiana INTERNnet website
• 95 new companies registered on the IIN
• 106 companies advertised one or more internships on the IIN
• Of the 106 companies, 58 (55%) reported filling at least one internship

These statistics represent many hours of concentrated effort and networking activities. Due to additional grant funding for the current program year, the team continues to work diligently, not only to maintain established business and education relationships that primarily benefit students at the post secondary level, but also to expand its high school initiative.

For more information on the Chamber's Graduate Retention Program, click here, or email Kay Anthony, Program Manager at kanthony@fwchamber.org.