This summer, DTE will welcome about 500 college and high school students into virtual “Work From Anywhere” internships with the company. At the beginning of 2020, we expected to host these students on-site. But when many companies transitioned to work-from-home as the COVID-19 crisis hit the U.S., we knew we needed to develop contingency plans. With the help of community partners, our internship plans went virtual.
Along the way, our Workforce Development team documented processes, tools and considerations to help other organizations develop their own virtual internship program. The culmination of this work is presented in a Work From Anywhere toolkit – available to anyone looking to start a virtual internship program at their company. This toolkit highlights details from our Summer Youth Internship Program–one of our many student programs.
Our toolkit features best practices and tips to consider when building out a program–from working with business units and identifying needs to building out engaging activities for students. It’s not meant as a how-to, but more of a thought-starter for your organization.
Please download and share our Work From Anywhere Toolkit with businesses or organizations considering a virtual internship work experience. If you have any questions about the toolkit or the Summer Youth Internship Program, please contact Deborah Majeski, HR Manager Workforce Development, at deborah.majeski@dteenergy.com, 313.319.3821 or email summer_youth_internships@dteenergy.com.
Click on the icon below to launch the interactive toolkit:
