NILES, Ohio – Out of approximately 70 college students interning at local businesses throughout the Mahoning Valley, only a handful raised their hands when asked who is definitely staying in the area to pursue their careers.
But the good news for those trying to attract the next generation of workers is that the majority of those in attendance Monday at the Mahoning Valley Intern Day at the Eastwood Event Centre were undecided.
The event was presented by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals.
Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners, told the students that “opportunity exists here in this community.” The approaching retirement of the baby boomer generation means many local owners are preparing to sell their businesses, he said. He emphasized the importance of self-assurance, tenacity and community support.
“Your path to the top here is very clear. It is very attainable,” Petrey said. “There is not a long list of people in front of you.”
He challenged the students to reconsider leaving, especially with recent big announcements of companies coming to or expanding in the Valley. Many of the students are interning at some of the growing companies in the area, such as Ultium Cells, Trillium and Steelite.
“There are just tremendous amounts of economic change and shifts in the winds happening in this community,” Petrey said. “This is change, and I know it’s hard for you all to see because you’re in this moment, in your own individual realities. But if you zoom out and you listen to those of us that have been here, that have been building here, you’re at the ideal moment in time to build something of a real magnitude in this community.”
Though money may drive them early in their careers, Petrey said that later in life they may find other incentives.
“Think about what you want to be doing 10 years from now, if you want to have impacted a community,” Petrey said. “If you want to leave a legacy, there is not a better place than here, right now, to accomplish that.”
Getting a chance to meet CEOs and successful young professionals like Petrey was one of the benefits the interns got from the event, according to Steve Weeden, president of the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals and Canfield branch manager for WesBanco.
“We have some great leaders here in the Valley, so just to find out why they stayed and why they are continuing to stay – find out what’s coming in this area and just the excitement of staying put,” Weeden said.
The Regional Chamber has been involved in the effort to attract workers to the area. Brenda Linert, director of community impact for the Regional Chamber, said the Mahoning Valley Intern Day was a chance to promote the area to young adults, including those who have come to the area to attend Youngstown State University or who came from elsewhere for an internship opportunity. But even those who live here may not know all the benefits and attractions of the area, she added.
“We hosted this event because we knew that there are so many interns, college interns, that are working at chamber member businesses around the Valley over the summer that we wanted to have an opportunity, before they all go back to school for the fall semester, to get them together,” Linert said.
Linert said the event was an opportunity to engage with each other and learn about the benefits of living in the Valley, including the low cost of living, with affordable housing and many jobs coming to the area.
“I think that it is often underrated,” Linert said. “People think of it as that’s the Rust Belt. Those days are so long gone. There is so much new technology and growth in our area.”
The interns’ itinerary Monday included having a professional headshot taken, listening to a panel discussion and receiving prizes. The evening was to end with a behind-the-scenes tour of Eastwood Field and a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game.
Pictured at top: Brenda Linert and Steve Weeden.