Many communities in northern Michigan struggle with an aging population, raising concerns over the declining workforce in the area. The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance is trying to combat the issue through an internship program, one they hope will bring more young professionals to the area.
The Choose the North Intern Project aims to bring workers between the ages of 18 and 30 to Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet Counties. It uses social media platforms to highlight professional opportunities and quality of life in the area.
Throughout the summer, interns have created social media content to showcase the lifestyle of the region through interviews with local business owners, residents and professionals.
Sam Bailey is the Strategic Initiatives Manager and internship Supervisor for the NLEA. He says the need for young people in the region has only grown over the past few years.
“Over one-third of the population is 60 years of age or older, which is typically when people are exiting the workforce. That share of our population has grown about 10% in the past ten years,” he said.
Bailey said the younger population in the area has been in decline as well, adding to the concerns of the region’s declining workforce.
“If you look at public school enrollment across the four counties, it’s down about five thousand students in the past 10 to 15 years,” he said. “So in order to kind of sustain our thriving economy up here, we need to attract a younger demographic of professionals to the area.
For the past seven years, the internship program has been providing local students the professional opportunity to support their community.
The four interns working this summer have created content for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
“Right now our TikTok has gotten the most engagement just by following trends and we’ve had a couple of videos that have went pretty viral,” said intern Lila Bolden.
Thomas Reid, another intern, said the group has gathered thousands of views across their social media platforms from both locals and non-residents.
Throughout the summer, the group has interviewed many local businesses including the Petoskey Farm’s Coffeehouse, Gypsy Distillery, and Little Bay Boards.
Adelyn Wang says that this internship opportunity has helped to grow her appreciation for the area she grew up in.
“I think for me, I have grown up mainly in Northern Michigan, so I think this has really helped me to establish connections in the area, but also, it’s kind of given me a chance to, I guess, appreciate what Northern Michigan really is,” she said.
Bailey attributes the success of the program to the support it has received from the DTE Energy Foundation since its inception.
“The program is geared toward providing local students a really impactful, professional opportunity and I think you heard from our interns that is exactly what we are able to do. So, we at the NLEA, really appreciate their support,” he said.
