InternOKC 2021: Setting up OKC’s future talent for success

Studies have shown that internships can play a pivotal role in helping college graduates land their first professional job, regardless of whether the internship is paid or unpaid. That is why programs such as InternOKC are so valuable to interns and the companies that hire them.

Created in 2006 by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber to recruit and retain young talent in Oklahoma City, InternOKC provides soft skills enhancement and professional development opportunities to the region’s young professionals.

Lee Copeland, director of talent and business growth for the Chamber, said the six-session series, which was canceled in 2020 because of COVID, will be held as an online event for the first time this summer from June 16 through July 28 on the Socio virtual platform. Each session will last one hour from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

“This year’s emphasis will be professional development opportunities for summer interns and to address the consistent soft skills gaps that exist for interns and entry-level talent entering the workforce,” Copeland said.

The first session takes place on June 16 and June 23 and will focus on how personal behavior, habits and practices can impact career development. On June 30 and July 14, interns will learn how to build, maintain and navigate relationships to build networks and teams. And then, on July 21 and July 28, the focus will center on building a mindset that fosters problem solving and big-picture thinking.

J.D. Baker, who now serves as special assistant to Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, is a former participant of InternOKC from 2017. He said the program provided him with the opportunity to meet fellow future Oklahoma City leaders and expanded his knowledge on what the city has to offer.

“My experience in the InternOKC program gave me new insights and laid the groundwork to new professional opportunities in my future,” Baker said. “Even as a lifelong resident of Oklahoma City, the program fueled my excitement to invest in this city through networking and telling the story of how far OKC has come, dream on what it could be, and the role I could play to enhance this great American city.”

The Chamber is partnering this year with the University of Central Oklahoma, who has agreed to issue a micro-credential in professional development to each participating intern who completes the program requirements. The interns can then, in turn, pin that micro-credential to their individual LinkedIn page to help them become more marketable to employers.

“The value to employers is that they are getting additional training to augment whatever they are doing for their summer interns. And then from the interns’ perspective, there is this tangible accomplishment they achieve if they choose to do all of the follow-up work asked of them,” Copeland said.

Employers interested in enrolling their interns for this summer’s InternOKC program can do so by visiting abetterlifeokc.com/summerintern. The registration fee per intern is $125 for Chamber member companies or $200 for nonmembers. Employers are encouraged to post their available internships on the Chamber website as well.

If you have questions or would like additional information about InternOKC, please contact Lee Copeland at [email protected].

Special thanks to Presenting Sponsor Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc.

This article originally appeared in the May 2021 edition of The Point!