Some of our Interns. Front Row: Dan Roberts, Chris Shier, Shawn Lettow; Back Row: Jason Koslowski, Todd Champion

"JUST AN INTERN?" AT CSM GROUP THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

At some places, an intern is a college student who does a little filing, answers phones, and maybe makes a new pot of coffee now and then. At CSM Group, the interns are something else: employees! They’re hired as carefully and held to the same expectations as other company employees. And according to CSM Group staff members and the interns themselves, that’s terrific!

Megan Wolthuis, a member of this summer’s group of interns, certainly thinks so. “They make an investment in you, and expect to get something from that investment. It’s exciting!” Wolthuis says.

Wolthuis, a Marketing Major and Ryan Long, a Construction Engineering Major at Western Michigan University received their internships through a special program funded by the Monroe-Brown Foundation and area employers. It also includes a college scholarship and bonus paid upon completing the internship. The program, designed in cooperation with Southwest Michigan First, was launched with the intention of encouraging local talent to remain in the Kalamazoo area after graduation.

Other 2007 interns include fellow WMU students Christopher Shier, John Barnes, and Shawn Lettow; Jason Koslowski from Central Michigan University; Todd Champion from Ferris State University; and Dan Roberts from Olivet Nazarene University.

Joining them is Dimitry Cripps of Kalamazoo Central High School. Cripps, like Lettow, is serving an internship as part of a co-operative venture with Kalamazoo Public Schools, for whom CSM Group is involved in a major construction project.

Intern or employee, it’s all about talent.

Josh Rohs, CSM Group Director of Communication and Guidance, says that prospective interns undergo essentially the same elaborate recruitment and evaluation measures as other CSM Group job candidates, for one simple reason.

“We do not compromise our talent benchmarks. The rest of the team who will be surrounding that intern expect and deserve nothing less,” Rohs said.

Rohs said that CSM Group gets its interns through participation in job fairs, meeting them during guest lectures, or through the company’s close relationships with local college faculty. And what those interns get in return is responsibility—a great deal of it!

“We give them as many different experiences as possible. They love to be empowered; the right people will run with it,” Rohs adds.

Amanda Vojnovich, Talent Development Specialist at CSM Group, agrees.

“It’s a hands-on experience, and they get more from it. We expect a lot from them; they are potential full-time employees. They’re not ‘token’ anything!”

Vojnovich feels strongly that it is her responsibility as a regular CSM Group employee to mentor the interns and show them the way.

“Hopefully they’ll discover they like it, and it will lead to a long-term opportunity,” she adds.

Interns are impressed.

This year’s interns certainly do appear to be “liking it.” Chris Shier, another WMU student, is impressed by the responsibilities given to interns. Shier is working, along with Wolthuis, in the Communications and Guidance Department.

“They get me as involved as possible, and treat me as an equal,” Shier says. He feels his experience is far better than what several friends are experiencing in their internships, where they do mostly “grunt” work.

“Here, it’s all about teamwork,” he adds. “It doesn’t matter what your job title is, if someone needs help, you help. And that’s not just interns, it’s across the board!”

Jason Koslowski is working on the Fabiano Breweries Distribution Facility in Midland, not far from his CMU campus. And he is delighted with the depth of involvement he has experienced so far.

“I’ve gone to pre- and post-bid meetings, scheduled post-bid interviews, and I work closely with Nate Hubert, the Project Manager. It’s really opened my eyes to what it’s all about,” Koslowski says, enthusiastically.

Todd Champion is spending his second summer as a CSM Group intern. His first “tour” in 2006 was spent 100% on the Battle Creek Health Systems job site, interacting with subcontractors and asking questions. This spring, he met with Josh Rohs and Todd McDonald to evaluate what he had learned last summer, and what would benefit him most this time around.

“They want me to learn some specific things, like boilers, air hammers, and more. They really care about giving me work I get something out of. The whole internship is not about them, it’s about you,” Champion said. “And that’s really cool!”