The 600 interns involved in this summer's After 5 program might have
joined the extracurricular social program to meet new people or get
involved downtown. But for the organizers of After 5, only one goal
stands out -- stopping the brain drain, and keeping these future grads
in Detroit.
"There's a great lifestyle in Detroit," says Peter
Van Dyke, publicist for After 5 Detroit. "Not only are they getting a
great work experience with great institutions, but it's basically
showing them that you can have this great lifestyle as a young
professional in Detroit. You don't have to live in one of the outlying
suburbs, like Royal Oak or Birmingham. You also don't have to move to a
big city."
Last year's program enrolled 400 interns in the
greater downtown area. While After 5 hasn't tracked retention rates for its interns, participation increased 50 percent for the 2011 summer.
They're
also trying to foster connections between these young students,
understanding that a ready-made social network can be a powerful draw to
keeping a young professional in Detroit upon graduation.
"So
many interns go to GM or AT&T or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,
and they never hang out with other interns in downtown Detroit that
summer. So this is a way to get those interns to meet each other. So
hopefully they'll start making their own plans after work with each
other," he says.
The summer 2011 kickoff launched June 9 at the
Majestic Cafe, and featured a welcome from DTE Energy chairman Tony
Early. "He underlined the importance of having young professionals in
Detroit, thanked them for their commitment to working in the city, and
asked them to come back after graduation," Van Dyke says.
The
summer-long program will offer interns six more opportunities to enjoy
Detroit this summer, including a loft party at Midtown's Studio One
Apartments, a tour of Eastern Market, a kickball tournament on Belle
Isle, a concert in the Park to be held in New Center, a "Dine and Dash"
restaurant crawl and a happy hour cocktail party at Foran's Grand Trunk
Pub.
Interns can still sign up to be part of After 5's summer program. Click
here to find out more.
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