The 2016 Summer Internship Program at NEC has finished its final inning and come to a bittersweet close. I am excited to share that it was an overall homerun! A successful program is a two-way street from both the preparedness and readiness of the company, but also the commitment and dedication of the intern. From my perspective, NEC gave both Blake and Brendan the resources to be a successful intern at NEC, and they both gave 110% every day when they came to work. You can’t ask for more than that!
Some highlights of their summer include each of them experiencing the life of a Superintendent on a job site, as well as gaining important project engineering, project management, and overall construction industry knowledge. If I had to choose a MVP for the summer, I could not! It would have to be both of our all-star interns Blake and Brendan. Both of them brought incredible value to our NEC team and our NEC family, and here’s why:
Blake is the definition of a team player. He is committed, collaborative, reliable, enthusiastic, and hardworking. He did whatever it took to get the job done and was always willing to lend a hand. He worked closely with field Superintendent, Ron Brouillette, who provided him with knowledge and experience working the field. As Blake explained, “In my experience here at NEC, I learned that you need to roll with the punches.” Blake had a true hands on experience here at NEC this summer.
Brendan is one of the most hardworking, positive, loyal, and dedicated interns to come through New England Construction. He was always willing to assist Project Manager, Nichole Henderson, with any task! He was able to pick things up quickly and was a fast learner. Brendan stated, “My internship at NEC provided me with hands-on experience in construction and project management, as well as improved my ability to communicate effectively and multi-task.” Not only was he a star in the office, he was also one of the stars on the NEC softball team this summer … Go team!
As I reflect back on the summer, I remember that the most important part of the internship program is hoping that our interns gained key industry knowledge and enhanced their overall skill set. This was solidified when Brendan explained, “I have a much better understanding of how a project comes together, and all of the work each trade puts into it. I knew nothing about electrical or HVAC work coming into this internship, and wasn't sure if I could ever make sense of it. However, after working on site this summer, I quickly developed a solid grasp on and understanding of the fundamentals of the various systems. There's still a lot to learn, but I've already learned much more than thought I would.”
From an HR perspective, although the summer went really well, it’s crucial to have an exit interview process to discuss what the intern has accomplished over the summer, their strengths, improvement areas, as well as their plans for the future. We also seek to learn how we may improve the program. Overall, the goal of the internship program is to create a “farm team” for our company, and I would name them the “NEC Aces”. The goal is for the interns to return up to their senior year, with the hope to hire the intern upon graduation.
As the summer season comes to a close, another season begins with the 2016 NEC Fall Internship Program. We try to be flexible at NEC with our college interns and offer Fall opportunities for students that are enrolled in fall classes, but have the time to participate in an internship as well.
If you are interested in more information about New England Construction’s Internship Program and instructions on how to apply, click the here to send me an email!
