Santana Equipment Trading Company, a Chicago-based lift truck dealer, is now going nationwide in search of candidates for its Intern/Management Trainee program. The program is designed to provide college students with an opportunity to gain professional work experience, attain industry-related skills, and learn real-world issues not taught in school.
The program was initially designed to recruit college students locally from the Chicago area. Now that the program has been running successfully for 10 years, Santana has decided to expand the opportunity to students nationwide. The Internship is geared toward current college students, whereas the Management Trainee position is for recent college graduates. Historically, the company has hired 90% of students who have completed the program to full time positions with the company.
The Santana Equipment Trading Company has expanded operations to Phoenix, promoted new management internally, targeted the growing Latin American market and developed a Social Media Marketing program.
President and founder, Eric Davidson, says by nationalizing the Intern/Management Trainee Program, his company hopes to expand the talent pool of candidates and hire someone with a working knowledge of territories that the company may look to expand in the future.
Kylie Sheehan, the most recent intern to partake in the program, was hired on May 6, 2013 out of the University of Kentucky. Originally from the Chicago area herself, Sheehan hopes to expand her working knowledge of B2B sales and marketing during her time with the company.
“As a company, we can develop our program to educate students in sales, marketing, and social media programs in ways that universities can’t achieve,” Davidson says. “Our students receive continued education through personal interaction and hands-on experience. This sort of training starts the students on a solid and successful career path."
