Medical moulder Phillips-Medisize is working with 35 interns this summer, their roles including engineering, maintenance, HR/training, IT, finance/accounting, health/safety/environmental, legal, and corporate development/strategy.
The program benefits both parties, says the company.
Students gain industry knowledge and are able to make an impact on real-life projects, while Phillips-Medisize says it gains new ideas and different perspectives from the students, as well as potential future hires.
Many individuals who participate in the internship program return into full-time positions, while others enter the group’s rotational program.
The rotational program, originally created for project engineers, has continued to grow with the company and now includes other engineering disciplines such as manufacturing, process, quality, mechanical design, systems and automation.
At any given time, Phillips-Medisize has 12-15 participants in rotation.
Program participants provide surge support for functional engineering areas, while learning how they fit and impact the company.
They learn about different capabilities and facilities during their three to six month rotations at various Phillips-Medisize facilities.
Matt Jennings, Phillips-Medisize CEO said: “These two programs have been a fundamental part of the company’s culture for over 30 years.
“The best part is these programs allow students to learn from real-life situations and grow with the programs.
“Most of the individuals in the rotational program began with us as interns.
“In fact, right now, seven of the 13 rotational program participants were part of our internship program.
“And, nearly 100% of the individuals who go through our rotational program stay on as Phillips-Medisize employees.
“These programs also provide a welcome opportunity for our experienced engineers and managers to mentor others in their field.”