GP Works Surpasses 2018 Intern Placement Goals

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It’s been an outstanding year for GP Works, the Greater Peoria EDC’s effort supporting the creation and placement of internships for high school students, as we have surpassed our 2018 year-end goal of 175 placements. As of the end of June 2018, 189 local high school students between six school districts have been placed in internships between 38 unique companies in Greater Peoria since work began in earnest in the fall of 2016. 

From our first two placements at Easter Seals, to the rapidly scaling internship experiences for students at large organizations like UnityPoint Health – Peoria|Pekin, OSF Healthcare, Caterpillar, ATS, City of Peoria, and many more, this work has been expedited as employer-partners realize the power of these student internships as a way to identify and attract entry-level talent. Indeed, approximately 12% of the interns we’ve placed in internships have retained as ‘regular’ employees following their initial experience. Better yet, these interns also make an average of nine dollars an hour during their internship experiences prior to being hired. 

As we look forward toward 2019, GP works is squarely on track to surpass our year-end goal of 300 placements, as we have 60 placements on the horizon for just the fall of 2019. 

If your company is interested in adopting a new model of talent development and joining the growing cohort of leading employers, we encourage you to reach out to GP Pathways Co-Director Brent Baker to learn how your company can benefit!