At SCbio’s Workforce Roundtable Luncheon in Greenville, sponsored by HTI, industry leaders and academic partners gathered with a common goal: to build stronger pathways between students in the classroom and careers in life sciences.
Joey Thames of Poly-Med Inc. began by sharing a brief overview of their organization’s internship program and noting that internships are both “pain and success.” It was a reminder that real growth happens when life sciences leaders come together to invest in students and strengthen the talent pipeline.
Herb Dew of HTI followed with 10 actionable steps for launching a successful internship program, emphasizing that today’s workforce values more than a paycheck. They want mentorship, purposeful work and inclusive environments.
Key highlights from Dew’s presentation included:
- Retention Matters: Interns who transition to full-time roles are 32% more likely to stay with the company.
- Real-World Experience Gap: Over half of graduating seniors have never held a full-time job.
- Strategic Internship Design: Internships should be meaningful, structured and aligned with company goals, rather than confined to clerical tasks.
Dew’s “10 actionable steps” provided a clear roadmap for companies to:
- Identify their workforce needs and establish structured internship programs.
- Recruit and assign dedicated mentors.
- Collect and evaluate feedback to continuously improve the internship experience.
He also stressed the importance of celebrating interns, maintaining relationships after programs end and viewing internships as a pipeline for future hires.
The discussion featured input from both industry and academia on recruiting interns through platforms like Handshake and LinkedIn, hosting career fairs and creating internships focused on relevant skills. Maintaining ongoing relationships with interns’ post-program was also emphasized.
SCbio’s Commitment to Workforce Development
SCbio shared upcoming career fairs at several South Carolina universities, an Academia and Industry Event in Greenville on October 21 and SCbio Foundation grants supporting summer internships for students.
These efforts reflect SCbio’s dedication to nurturing local talent and ensuring South Carolina remains a thriving hub for life sciences innovation.
For more information or assistance with internship programs, visit: https://www.scbio.org/contact-us/