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5 Free Professional Development Sessions Offered Virtually To Indiana Students

The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, in collaboration with OrthoWorx, is hosting five free professional development sessions virtually for high school and college students throughout Indiana as part of the Regional Internship Program for Employers. The first session is on Thursday, June 11 and students are encouraged to register for any of the events at www.neindiana.com/regionalinternships.

“In Northeast Indiana and Fort Wayne, we believe that increasing the number and quality of internships and experiential learning opportunities will prepare our students for full-time employment and expand our talent pool for regional employers,” said Sonya Snellenberger-Holm, director of talent initiatives at the Regional Partnership. “The Professional Development Series is going virtual this year to expand our reach and provide more education and opportunity to students statewide.”

The professional development sessions address a variety of topics essential to developing skills and talents and preparing students for the workforce. Topics include:

• CliftonStrengths for Interns

• Addressing Your Implicit Bias

• Lessons from Leaders

• LinkedIn Training: Networks = Net Worth

• Financial Literacy: Planning for the Future

• National Intern Day Celebration

Through virtual breakout sessions, presentations from experts, panelist discussions with seasoned professionals and robust question and answer sessions, students can explore how to stand out to prospective employers and learn skills to prepare for their internship or job search.

“Our Professional Development Series is designed to be a very engaging webinar, and provide students with opportunities to share and network virtually,” said Snellenberger-Holm. “That’s why we are seeing such strong support from employers and higher education partners. This is filling a unique need for students, especially given the challenges of COVID-19.”

Onnalee Hill, director of talent strategy with Northwestern Mutual, said the Professional Development Series touches on significant topics that students are eager to explore. Hill is encouraging Northwestern Mutual interns to attend.

“Professional development is a big part of what we do at Northwestern Mutual. We have top rated training in the nation and a great belief in empowering one to learn more about their talents. That is why it’s so important to partner with amazing organizations like Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. They offer a unique look into a young professional’s growth and development. We are excited to kick off the sessions this week,” said Hill.

Linda Cooper, career coach and industry liaison with Trine University’s Career Center, said she is encouraging her students to attend the event to learn about necessary skills as they seek internships and employment.

“While COVID-19 is challenging as students seek internships or employment, programs like the Professional Development Series provide an outlet for growth and development that is important to a student’s economic success,” said Cooper.

The Regional Partnership has been hosting the Professional Development Series as part of the Regional Internship Program for Employers for four years. Last year, the organization served more than 200 students from 22 regional employers. Collectively, the students represented 56 different educational institutions and came from countries such as China, Bangladesh and Vietnam, just to name a few.

To learn more or to register for the free sessions, visit the website at www.neindiana.com/regionalinternships.