Workforce Development Intern

Zekelman Industries is seeking a Workforce Development Intern to support programs that help employees, apprentices, and students develop new skills and build meaningful careers in manufacturing. This is an on-site role located at our Chicago, IL HQ. The official Zekelman internship program runs from May 24, 2027, through August 13, 2027. This is not a traditional administrative HR internship. Working alongside our passionate Workforce Development team, you'll play a key role supporting our programs that help to train, develop, and retain employees across the organization.

Responsibilities

Analyze workforce development, apprenticeship, internship, and talent development programs to identify opportunities that improve participant outcomes and organizational effectiveness; Create tools, resources, and frameworks that enhance employee development experiences and increase program scalability; Partner with Workforce Development, HR, Operations, and business leaders to understand talent needs and support workforce development solutions; Support the planning and execution of workforce development projects by tracking milestones, coordinating stakeholders, and helping drive initiatives to completion; Develop dashboards, scorecards, and reports that measure participation, engagement, and program effectiveness; Research industry best practices and emerging workforce development trends to inform program strategy and continuous improvement; Present findings, recommendations, and project outcomes to Workforce Development and business stakeholders; Assist with planning and coordinating events for the Workforce Development team; Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

Currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Leadership, Workforce Development, Human Resources, Business, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related field; Demonstrates a strong interest in workforce development, talent development, organizational effectiveness, or project management; Demonstrates initiative, ownership, problem-solving skills, and comfortability with ambiguity; Highly organized with strong project management skills and exceptional attention to detail; Able to manage multiple priorities, coordinate stakeholders, and drive work forward in a fast-paced environment; Comfortable working with data, Excel, reporting tools, and business documentation

Nice to have

Experience leading projects, improving processes, conducting research, serving in leadership roles, or coordinating events

Benefits

Hands-on experience supporting workforce development initiatives; Opportunity to work on meaningful projects with real business impact; Develop project management and process improvement skills; Exposure to talent development and workforce strategy; Opportunity to present work to organizational stakeholders; Explore potential future career opportunities within workforce development and related business functions; Competitive compensation; Low-cost, high-quality medical and dental benefits; Tuition assistance program; Bonus plan; 401(k) plan with generous company match and immediate vesting