The summer edition of the Haskell Internship Program brought 71 interns from 15 offices and job sites to the global headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, for the 2023 Intern Summit. Interns spent the first two days of the summit participating in workshops, social events and a service project.
It culminated Thursday, National Intern Day, with the Intern Pitch.
This year’s Intern Pitch featured 10 teams, each comprising interns from diverse office or job site locations, majors, and backgrounds. The teams were charged with proposing an idea, change or addition that would advance the principles of Haskell 2025, the company’s strategic plan for growth focused on advancing the principles of Haskell 2025, the company’s current roadmap for strategic growth.
“The teams are very intentionally put together,” said Mike Huskey, Director of Workforce Planning. “We look for diversity of degree path, gender, school, and office representation. We want to make sure people can collaborate just like they would in a project, so we try to have architects, engineers, and construction professionals all partner for one proposal.”
A panel of judges chose three proposals that will be put into action:
- AI in Architecture took first prize with a model for leveraging predictive analysis AI and feedback loops to optimize Haskell’s design process. A Haskell AI algorithm would be fed historical project data to better predict project outcomes relative to cost, timelines, potential risks and mitigation strategies, ultimately contributing to better project outcomes for Haskell clients.
- In second place, Haskell Empowering Women seeks to drive continued growth of women into the architecture, engineering and construction industries by enhancing existing programs for mentorship, shadowing and scholarship. The program would benefit from a dedicated leadership team to best engage young women in high school and cultivate professionals who might otherwise be unaware of career opportunities in a field that is historically male-dominated.
- Finishing in third place was the Sustainably Safe Site initiative or ‘Triple S’ for short. The Triple S initiative is an effort to incentivize clean project sites, free of single-use bottles and recyclable debris that are often the cause of trip hazard risks, the number one cause of jobsite injuries. Recyclable debris is collected on-site in clearly marked recycling containers and collected monthly. The Triple S initiative reinforces Haskell’s industry-leading commitment to safety and sustainability.
The Haskell Internship Program has existed for many years, but in 2018 was made a part of Haskell’s strategic plan for growth. That year, a Workforce Development team was formalized to increase the number of interns and build up the program’s curriculum. Now, 90% of interns eligible to receive a return offer get an offer, and 90% accept. This year’s program comprised a record 79 interns.
“Our cohort number is a big deal because it's not just interns who are coming in and doing work for the summer.,” University Relations Specialist Ally Hale said. “Those are 80 potential full-time team members. They’re people we want to continue to see and continue to grow.”
In addition to the college program, Haskell offers a High School Intern Program, a smaller-scale curriculum for rising high school seniors to gain architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) exposure.
Jacob Thurlow, Director of Operations Risk and Controls, created the high school internship framework and leads the program. During their six weeks in Haskell’s headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, students work on projects, tour job sites, participate in training through Haskell University and give weekly presentations to Haskell team members.
“The high school interns get to experience what we do here at Haskell through interactions with their mentors,” Thurlow said. “The mentors enjoy sharing their passion for their careers with other people, and that's one of the things that the interns always report back.”
While the college and high school programs operate independently, four students who started as high school interns are now a part of the college program.
“We've had several now come back as college interns, and we're starting to see some of the benefits of having this program,” Thurlow said. “I think there's a desire to do more in the future to connect the high school interns with our University Relations team.”
Both programs have grown extensively since their beginnings and continue to expand even more. Interns are a vital part of Haskell’s efforts to attract the best possible talent to contribute to creating world-class solutions for clients.
“I don't feel like we are selling the program anymore; I think the program is selling itself,” Huskey said. “Our goal is to be the most intentional program. Nothing we do in this program is by accident.”
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