Among the 2020 summer intern program class at Ford Motor Co. is Michigan Tech undergraduate Katlynn Stone, who has returned to the Ford internship program for her second year.
The computer science major says that she was relieved to learn that the program would be moving ahead in spite of the pandemic and is looking forward to building on her experience from last year.
With a global pandemic still very much ongoing, Ford is keeping most of its non-operation-critical employees home for the indefinite future. The same will go for its 2020 summer intern class, which the automaker has announced will telecommute to work this year.
“Internships are a valuable learning experience and these students are a great pipeline for future Ford talent,” said Lena Allison, Ford Motor Company U.S. talent acquisition and onboarding lead. “It was important that we quickly redesign the internship program so we could still provide a meaningful learning experience and get to know them as potential future hires.”
To make sure that the 600 students will be able to get the full experience, Ford is sending laptops and headphones to every member of the summer internship program. A virtual orientation is set to take place this month, kicking off an eight-week program that includes regular check-ins and a variety of social events.
Ford restarted North American manufacturing in May and has been working to get back up to full capacity in the month since. Though Ford has worked to bring its facilities back online while observing global safety protocols to ensure the health of employees, those who are able to do their work from home are being encouraged to continue doing so.
This blog post is adapted from an online article in the The News Wheel posted June 22, 2020.
TheNewsWheel.com is a digital automotive magazine that provides readers with a fresh perspective on car news. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the publication’s mission is to deliver an entertaining twist on the latest auto headlines; translated for the everyday driver, according to their website. Link to the full article below.