As the academic year draws to a close and organizations prepare to welcome summer interns or hire new graduates, many leaders are considering how to bring new talent on board and integrate them into their organizations. I’m pleased to turn this newsletter intro over to my colleague, Jackson Fort, one example of such talent who has added value to our team over the last two years. He’ll share with you some strategies for attracting and retaining early career talent.  

As a new generation enters the workforce, expectations around growth, communication, and workplace culture continue to evolve. Mentorship has become a defining factor in how organizations stand out for many emerging professionals, often driving strong engagement and long-term retention. Young professionals seek clear growth pathways, consistent feedback, and authentic relationships with leaders. Intentionally designed mentorship programs play a critical role in meeting these expectations. 

Mentorship has shaped my experience as an early career professional, both as an intern and in a full-time role. I have been fortunate enough to build relationships with leaders who actively work to understand my career goals and connect me to projects that both apply and grow my skills in ways that are tailored to my career path. This focus on authentic connection and intentional skill development defines strong mentorship programs and has been instrumental for growth during the early stages of my career. 

In addition to aligning skill development with individual career goals, organizations can strengthen their approach to mentorship by setting regular feedback check-ins with new talent to build consistency and support, and by ensuring that their workload contributes to meaningful, purpose-driven projects tied to organizational goals. When mentorship aligns with purpose and progression, it strengthens belonging and boosts engagement and retention. 

These themes are central to our upcoming event, Elevating the Intern Experience: An Internship Workshop, where we will explore how intentional program design, including mentorship, can transform early talent experiences. 

If your organization is ready to take the next step in strengthening your mentorship strategy and talent pipeline, The Workforce Innovation Center’s consulting services can help you design and scale workforce strategies that support early career talent and drive long-term success. 

FEATURED EVENT

Join us on April 8th from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as we partner with the Leadership Center at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber for an engaging lunch and learn and interactive workshop designed for professionals who manage internship programs and lead intern recruitment, onboarding, and engagement. 

This session brings together employers, HR leaders, talent development professionals, and student voices to explore what makes internship experiences meaningful for today’s students and early career talent. Building on insights from last year’s Creating Successful Internship Experiences event, participants will work in small groups led by employers recognized for internship excellence to strengthen their own programs. 

Facilitated by WIC Lead Consultant Dr. Kevin Sansberry II, Behavior Scientist and Innovation Consultant at KEVRA: The Culture Company, attendees will explore frameworks for designing impactful internships, develop strategies to improve engagement and retention, and learn how CINC, the Cincinnati Intern Network Connection, helps interns build relationships and connect with the Cincinnati region. 

Register today and discover how intentional internship experience design fosters emerging talent in your workplace and the Cincinnati Region.  

WORKFORCE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

This month, we are pleased to highlight Great Oaks Career Campuses and their work preparing students to enter the workforce through a wide variety of education and training programs. Over the past few months, Great Oaks produced three entries for our blog highlighting their work with students, both through adult education and at the high school level, and the ways that career-technical education strengthens talent pipelines across the state of Ohio. 

Explore the full blog series to learn more about Great Oaks and discover how their programs can help you connect to career-ready talent. 

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The Brookings Institution has released their 2026 Metro Monitor. This interactive resource examines economic performance across five broad categories: growth, prosperity, overall inclusion, racial inclusion, and geographic inclusion. Each category is measured using three standardized indicators, such as employment rate, earnings, and poverty. 

Visit the dashboard to gauge Cincinnati’s growth and see how we stack up against the nation’s 196 largest metropolitan economies .

COMMUNITY EVENTS

NEWS OF INTEREST

If not for this one industry, the U.S. labor market would look a lot worse – The Washington Post

72% of US workers say they rely on a second income, while 26% say they need the side job just to cover the bills – Yahoo! Finance

Aviation industry is running out of the people who keep planes flying - CNN

A labor shortage is hitting Cincinnati. These nonprofit groups are responding with inclusion. – Soapbox Cincinnati

Students using gaming as a pathway toward their dream job – Spectrum News 1

A booming employee benefit at the heart of America’s affordability debate - CNBC 

Where managers fit in the retention equation - Cincinnati Business Courier

GE Aerospace supplier gets JobsOhio grant for 300-job expansion in Cincinnati area – Cincinnati Business Courier 

Two-thirds of Gen Z say they rely on self-taught skills to find a job – Fast Company 

Switching jobs meant big raises just a few years ago- here’s what the pay bump looks like now - CNBC