Industrial Project Innovation (IPI) is in the second month of this summer’s rotational internship program. It is open to college juniors and seniors in good academic standing who are pursuing degrees in construction, engineering or business management. The program facilitates valuable training that can be used throughout an intern’s career including 30 Hour OSHA Certification and Procore® Training Modules. It includes a mentorship component in which our interns receive career guidance from one of our construction management experts. It also allows our interns to participate in IPInsteins initiatives such as lunch and learn events and the bi-annual off-site meeting.
Daeonna Jackson is this week’s featured intern. Daeonna is a student at Clemson University where she studies Construction Science and Management. This summer, she is based in Commerce, Georgia where she is an intern at the SK Battery America site. There, she tracks site progress, organizes inspection reports, and shadows inspection walks. She aids in the creation and completion of punch lists. She also serves on a Safety and Wellness Task Force. We conducted a short interview with Daeonna to find out what she thinks of the internship so far:
How were you introduced to Industrial Project Innovation?
I found out about IPI from the Construction Career Fair at Clemson University last fall.
What are your future career goals?
My future career goals are to stay grounded at one company for at least 5-10 years, then eventually branch off to begin my own business.
How does the company align with your career goals?
This company is a great starting point for me to learn about the industrial aspect of construction. It is helping me gain the knowledge that I need outside of residential construction.
What do you hope to gain from this internship?
I hope to learn a little bit about every concentration of expertise that is involved with the SK Battery America project in order to gauge where I would be best suited in this industry.
What is your favorite aspect of the internship so far?
My favorite aspect of the internship so far is being able to go on walks on the site with different people and being able to learn what they see through their eyes when they are inspecting a particular area on the job site.
What is one unexpected thing that you have learned during your time at Industrial Project Innovation?
An unexpected thing that I have learned at IPI is how to handle everything during a pandemic. It has been interesting to learn how to work with employees as well as how to keep productivity on the job site while implementing new guidelines and rules.
What is one milestone you would like to accomplish before the end of the internship?
I would like to be able to work through a punch list on my own before the end of the internship. I would like to be able to gain insight and apply it on my own.
Would you recommend the internship to other students? Why or why not?
I would definitely recommend the internship to other students. I think regardless of anything being able to come out on the job site is a great opportunity to start, and I believe that anyone can gain real knowledge from working with IPI.