Virginia Addicott, president of FedEx Custom Critical, will take the stage as the featured keynote during the 2019 Cleveland Internship Summit, hosted by the Greater Cleveland Partnership and Cleveland State University on Feb. 21 at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights. Addicott will lend her unique perspective to the Summit’s theme of closing the gap between the skills Northeast Ohio employers need and the skills potential employees have.

“As an employer we understand the importance of cultivating talent,” Addicott said. “Internships and other talent development initiatives allow us to engage potential future employees in a meaningful way. When our interns convert to full-time employees, we see strong retention rates and team members who already embrace our company's culture."

In addition to Addicott’s keynote, the Summit will also unite educators and business leaders for a day filled with conversations on how internships can help the region’s businesses fill open positions. Sessions will focus on how to build best-in-class internships on a limited budget; avoiding legal issues when vetting potential interns on social media; and creating an inclusive program that integrates everyone into your company’s culture. 

Joe Roman, president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership said, “Finding and retaining talent continues be a top priority for employers. Building a strong workforce in today’s changing workplace requires employers to be focused on talent development efforts that have real results, like internships. Internships give employers an extremely valuable opportunity to see interns in action and assess their skills and overall fit to the team and workplace. When done right, internship programs are a win-win for both students and employers.”

“Providing college students with hands-on experiences in their field of study augments classroom instruction, enhances retention and better prepares graduates for meaningful careers,” notes Harlan Sands, president of Cleveland State University. “We are honored to partner with the Greater Cleveland Partnership to once again host this important Summit which will further strengthen our region’s internship pipeline for the benefit of our students and the community as a whole.”