Internship Offerings Benefit Credit Unions & Interns; Help Staff Understand Millennials; Boost Membership

Internships have long been a means for employer and intern alike to join together for mutual benefit.  The intern learns new skills while the employer gains from the fresh perspective an intern may contribute.  And the employer has the opportunity to evaluate the intern for potential entry-level employment.

But starting an internship program at a credit union requires planning and precautions to ensure that the experience is fruitful for both parties.

SECU of Maryland offers an internship program that has been fine-tuned for over a decade.  It is designed to provide both the credit union and the intern with a structured, meaningful experience; one that benefits both the interns and their credit union host.

Through an annual six-week internship offering, SECU is able to give back to the communities they serve, better understand the needs of youthful members, and groom potential employees.

The program is not without its challenges as SECU must recruit internship prospects, integrate them into the SECU culture, provide training and workplace experiences commensurate with intern-level duties, and monitor the program’s effectiveness.

The well-honed offering produces several benefits for both the credit union and its young interns, some of whom have gained full-time employment at SECU after their internship experiences.

Lyle Wheeler served in one of SECU’s recent internship cycles.  He’s now a Client Support Specialist in SECU’s IT Department, and gives his intern experience positive reviews, “Looking back on my SECU internship, I would say I learned the value, benefit, and necessity of working together to accomplish our goals. Entering the IT department as an intern I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was quickly welcomed and given the opportunity to experience a culture of teamwork that spans across many divisions.  I’m extremely proud and grateful to be a part of that.”

Read the informative Q&A with Roderic Flowers, SPHR, Vice President, Human Resources Development at SECU of Maryland in this edition of TurnKey.