Intern Sioux Falls Connects Students and Employers

Internships are a proven way for employers to attract and retain talent — and a local program is helping make those connections.

As part of Forward Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation executes talent and workforce development programming to help businesses attract, retain and develop talent. One of those programs is Intern Sioux Falls.

Intern Sioux Falls connects students at regional colleges and universities with internships in the Sioux Falls area and offers summer events that help interns explore the community and build connections. The Foundation is preparing for the program’s fourth year.

“Sioux Falls is one of the best places to be a young professional,” said Riley Johnson, talent recruitment coordinator for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. “By promoting internships at Sioux Falls businesses to students at our regional education institutions, we hope they can experience it for themselves and choose Sioux Falls as the place to start their careers upon graduation.”

The program offers two main benefits to employers.

During the academic year, Foundation staff attend career fairs at regional colleges and universities to promote internships in Sioux Falls. Available positions are listed at siouxfalls.com/intern, which serves as a centralized internship job board for students. Organizations with internships are invited to be listed on the site, while students can browse openings, explore summer housing resources and register for Intern Sioux Falls summer events once registration opens. Digital marketing targeted to the metro areas of participating schools helps drive traffic to the site.

During the summer months, the Foundation coordinates events for interns to help them get to know Sioux Falls and meet other interns. Past events include speed networking, a LinkedIn workshop with free professional headshots, a service-project lunch, a Canaries game, a Downtown Sioux Falls scavenger hunt and an end-of-summer networking event on the rooftop of the Cherapa Interconnect. Interns also were introduced to the Chamber’s Young Professionals Network and offered complimentary student memberships.

“The summer events are designed to help interns make the most of their summer in Sioux Falls by helping them feel more at home and network,” Johnson said. “Last summer, more than 150 interns attended our events, became familiar with our community and created connections.”

Johnson said now is the time to get involved, with spring career fairs taking place in January, February, March and April. “By getting involved now, your organization’s internship opportunities will be promoted just in time for this spring’s career fairs,” she said.

To be part of the program — whether you’d like to promote your internship opportunities or receive information about summer events for interns at your business — contact Johnson at rileyj@siouxfalls.com.