Michigan STEM Forward

Internship program

Paid internships for college students at Michigan companies

Michigan STEM Forward connects college students with paid internship opportunities in STEM fields at Michigan companies. 20Fathoms is proud to serve as the Grand Traverse Region’s referral partner for this program that helps to match Michigan’s exceptional young talent with internship opportunities that provide an ideal environment for students to build job skills.

Michigan STEM Forward is administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). 

For Employers

The STEM Forward program reduces the financial and operational barriers to finding quality intern support. Benefits for employers include:

  • Access to an intern resume database
  • 50% of the intern’s wages are covered by MEDC (Interns are paid a minimum of $15/hour)
  • Payroll, tax, and compliance responsibilities are managed by an MEDC payroll partner

The program is open to Michigan-based companies offering paid internships related to science, technology, engineering, and math. Technology-focused businesses are preferred.

For Students

Find a paid internship with Michigan’s leading innovative companies through the STEM Forward program. Once you apply for the program and upload your resume, it will be visible to participating companies around Michigan who will contact you directly for an internship opportunity.

The program is open to both full-time and part-time students attending Michigan colleges and universities, as well as Michigan residents attending out-of-state institutions. Internships are available in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Success Story: Safety Net

In this video, hear from Tim Cerny, CEO of Safety Net, a company that provides managed IT services and technology consulting from their offices in Traverse City and Southeast Michigan. Through the STEM Forward program, Safety Net hired several interns and it worked out so well that they offered them full-time jobs upon graduation.

We can help

If you have questions about the STEM Forward program or application process, 20Fathoms can help. We are also able to assist employers with pre-application preparation.