If you've been concerned about your workforce lately, whether it's staffing for this summer or attracting new workers to your company or industry in the long term, hiring STEP-UP Achieve interns this summer can be a winning strategy.

STEP-UP Achieve, directed by AchieveMpls and part of the City of Minneapolis STEP-UP program, is a nationally-recognized program that provides paid professional internships for Minneapolis youth ages 16-21.

We've hired STEP-UP Achieve interns at the Chamber every year since the program was launched in 2004, and we're doing it again this summer because we've seen the impact of the program and its 8,000 total internships during that time.

I recently had the pleasure of attending STEP-UP Achieve's annual Partners Breakfast, which celebrated the nearly 150 local businesses and organizations that hired STEP-UP Achieve interns in 2016.

At the breakfast, Lukman, a dynamic STEP-UP Achive intern at Children's Minnesota last summer, shared how his internship transformed his intended career path and inspired him to pursue pediatric oncology. His supervisor, Gretchen, talked about all the reasons she had for saying "no" to hiring an intern-no time to train someone, never worked with high school students before, the work would be boring to a student-and then she explained how each one of those concerns fell by the wayside over the course of the internship. Lukman turned out to be a highly-engaged and outstanding intern who made tremendous contributions to her organization.

With a projected deficit of 100,000 workers by 2020, our region needs STEP-UP Achieve more than ever. As a result, I challenge you to join employers like Gretchen and put aside your own doubts or reasons for saying "no" to hiring a talented young person for the summer and give the program a try. There's simply no better way to build the pool of talent for your company and our region or introduce young people to your profession.  Most importantly, STEP-UP Achieve interns get work done.

I encourage you to contact Matt Norris, Manager of Employer Engagement for STEP-UP Achieve, at 612-455-1565 or mnorris@achievempls.org before March 31 to discuss how you can become the next believer in this program. You won't regret participating in this life-changing program.  Please click here for additional details.