Inaugural class of 30 area interns receives professional development training
Baton Rouge, LA (May 31, 2016) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today announced the curriculum and schedule for the inaugural class of InternBR, a professional development program for area interns. Designed to provide post high school-age students with leadership and communication skills requisite for career success, InternBR is an initiative of BRAC’s Talent Development program, which assists area employers with talent attraction and retention.
“In the global war for talent, businesses often are able to identify candidates with technical proficiency, but report having difficulty finding talent with necessary soft skills,” said Adam Knapp, BRAC president and CEO. “BRAC created InternBR to address this unmet business need.”
Beginning this Friday, students will be guided through a behavioral self-assessment from a certified DISC trainer. Once students understand their behavior and communication preferences, the remaining sessions in the 10-week program will address specific skills, including email and social media etiquette, business dinner etiquette, leadership styles and development, personal branding, crucial conversations, and interview preparedness. The program will culminate with a graduation ceremony on August 5.
Students, who were selected through a competitive application process, represent six universities, including Louisiana State University, Southern University, Our Lady of the Lake College, Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana Tech University, and Mississippi State University. The 2016 class and their internship companies are listed below.
– Anna-Marie Barone,Baton Rouge Business Report
– Chase Berenson,Baton Rouge Area Foundation
– Iesha Blackburn, IBM
– Sheila Caban,Gallagher Benefit Services
– Caitlin Demarest,Diane Allen & Associates
– Madelyn Duhon, LSU College of Human Sciences and Education
– Alexis Flowers, Horne CPA and Business Advisors
– Hannah Gill, Faulk & Winkler, LLC
– Christian Gonzales,IBM
– Erika Haguette, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
– Regan Horn, The Lemoine Company
– Justin James, The Lemoine Company
– Kaylee Jones, Teknarus
– Mahdi Judeh, IBM
– Morgan Kastner, LSU Communication across the Curriculum (CxC)
– Patrick Kidder, The Lemoine Company
– Peyton Klemm, Jones Walker LLP
– Ashton Knight, LSU Communication across the Curriculum (CxC)
– Vu Le, IBM
– Madison Lusco, Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response Center (STAR)
– Khadija Mohammed,IBM
– Juli Parker, Our Lady of the Lake College
– Chelsea Rainwater,Baton Rouge Area Chamber
– Taylor Richard,Louisiana Lottery
– Ryan Robin, The Lemoine Company
– Luke Simpson,Gallagher Benefit Services
– Gage Spell, Quality Engineering & Surveying
– Colby Sterling,TEDxLSU
– Joshua Stickling, City of Baton Rouge, Finance Department
– William Ward, The Lemoine Company
Cultivating the region’s talent is one of four main goals in BRAC’s five-year strategic plan. InternBR is designed to help attract and retain top millennial talent in the Baton Rouge Area. More information is available here.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,460 small businesses, mid-sized firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at www.brac.org.
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