The Ann Arbor region provides unique opportunities for college students to gain real-world experience through summer internships supported by local and state-wide resources alike. Programs like Michigan STEM Forward and the Digital Summer Clinic facilitate purpose-driven internships for students from Michigan’s leading colleges and universities. Applications for these opportunities are now open for students to apply.
On March 23, Michigan STEM Forward is hosting a virtual internship fair aimed at connecting students to a wide variety of the state’s innovative companies in a collaborative, virtual space. Michigan STEM Forward Program Manager, Ben Ernst highlights the significant aspects of this event.
“Students will be able to browse job descriptions, interact with company representatives, and share their resumes with a wide variety of fast-growing and advanced companies from every corner of the state. Big to small, life sciences to biotech to engineering and beyond, our goal is to connect talented aspiring professionals with highly impactful experiences.”
The MSTEM program is a partnership between Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). This collaboration provides financial support for qualifying internships to provide students with meaningful paid career experiences and promote job retention in the state.
Similarly, the Digital Summer Clinic works as a bridge, connecting students from higher ed to the high-tech economy in Southeast Michigan. For the last eight years, the program has provided a unique opportunity for college students and recent grads to jump-start their careers in digital. Each year 48 students are selected to participate in the nine-week internship.
Program Director Bud Gibson describes the many perks of the program. “We pay a competitive internship wage and match you to opportunities that fit your skills and goals. During the internship, you will receive weekly coaching from executives in residence from companies like Google and Pinterest. We are open to all majors ranging from marketing, communications, and graphical design to computer science, data science, and psychology along with everything in between.”
All interested applicants are encouraged to apply to the program. “We take students who might not have much, if any, professional experience and put them on the launchpad to high-paying, rewarding careers. We’ve done this for students from community and four-year colleges and every kind of background with a very high rate of success,” said Gibson.
Thanks to thriving companies and top-tier academic institutions, the growing regional pipeline has created an ideal environment for students to build job skills. Students interested in these opportunities can apply online. Register now for the MSTEM Internship Fair to create a profile and upload your resume. Apply to the Digital Summer Clinic by April 30 to be considered.
