Thank you for the opportunity to present information about the Gradaute Retention Program and what we are doing in Northeast Indiana

3. “We have a monster jobs problem, and young
people are the biggest losers,”
Andrew Sum, Economist and Director of the Center for Labor Market
Studies at Northeastern University

6. The Fiscal Times issued an article last week stating that the
Fort Wayne metro area has the highest job growth rate in
the nation!!!
YES, they said Fort Wayne!!!

7. ManpowerGroup reports that 52% of U.S. employers
surveyed say they have difficulty filling positions
because of talent shortages

8. Top 5 Soft Skills Employers Want
1. Verbal Communication Skills
2. Work Ethic
3. Teamwork
4. Analytical Skills
5. Initiative NACE, 2010

14. GRP has worked with more
than 800 employers to
develop close to 2800
internships in Northeast
Indiana

15. Recap Year 7
• 416 internships developed in NE Indiana on
Indianaintern.net
• 72 new employers from NE Indiana registered on IIN
• More than 1500 students registered in NE Indiana on IIN
• More than 1700 connections made
• New IIN website developed and implemented

16. Projects
• Live, Learn and Intern
• TechFEST11
• Industry to Educator
• New training programs
– Supervisor Boot Camp
– Intern Boot Camp
• Emphasis on internship development in Noble and DeKalb counties
• Collaborating with Government Affairs Division on Internship Program

21. • Full day video gaming competition
• Last year April 16, 2011, held at Sweetwater Sound
• More than 100 people attended the first annual event
• More than 30 Universities, businesses, and non-profits
were represented with tables at the event
• Fort Wayne Native and Entrepreneurial phenom, Zach
Klein spoke to students about making the most of
opportunities
• TechFEST12 will be March 10, 2012 at The Lantern

23. Industry to Educator

24. • This past summer, 31 High School and Middle School
teachers from around Northeast Indiana participated in
this week-long externship program
• Participating companies - Raytheon, ITT, B.A.E,
Northrop Grumman
• Designed to provide teachers with an answer to the
age old question, “When will I ever need this?”
• Hoping to expand the program next year to include
additional industries
• Expansion into Noble county

26. Company Training Programs
• Supervisor Boot Camp – the ins and outs of managing
Millennials and interns
• Intern Boot Camp – Professional skills for your new interns
• Surviving and Thriving in a Mulit-Generational Workplace
• The Art of Interviewing for the Non-HR Person
• Using Social Media to Brand to a New Generation of
Employees
• Personalized training to meet your companies needs

27. Goals for Year 8
• TechFEST12 – March 10, 2012
• Industry to Educator - July 2012
• TechCAMP12 – July 2012
• 475 new internships posted
• 100 new employers added
• 1000 contacts with employers in outlying counties
• 1,500 contacts with employers in Allen County
• 1,500 new student registrations

28. How Can You Be Involved?
• Host a high school or college student as an intern at your company
• Provide job shadow opportunities for younger students
• Connect your company as a sponsor at TechFEST12
• Host a table at TechFEST12 to connect your company to hundreds of
high school students and their parents and educators
• Join the Speakers Bureau and become a resource to teachers
throughout the Northeast Indiana region

29. Jennifer Fisher, Program Manager
Graduate Retention Program
jfisher@fwchamber.org