Five recent Detroit Public Schools Community District graduates spent the better part of their summer at the Mack and Jefferson assembly plants as part of a Stellantis manufacturing internship program in partnership with Southeastern High School.

DeMartrel Stevens said she learned a lot of new things as an intern in the logistics engineering department at Jefferson.

“It has taught me more about cars than I ever knew,” she said, noting that a special project she worked on included auditing parts containers for efficiency. “I’ve been learning more about how cars are made, how it works with bringing parts into and out of the plant.”

Joining Stevens at Jefferson was Devin Waugh, an intern working on safety projects in the body shop.

“This internship has taught me how to be more of a leader, how to assess operator’s problems if they have them, offer solutions, and to just be on the lookout and learn how to help people,” Waugh said.

Over at the Mack plant, Jamiya Harris helped contain craters and spot other defects in the paint department. She described the internship program as “a good experience” and recommends it for any interested students.

“It’s fun, you learn a lot, you get to meet new people, learn about the plant and what goes on in it, so I feel like it’s a good experience,” Harris said.

Treyvon Simpson worked in the Mack plant helping to organize parts on a spreadsheet.

“This internship has taught me how to manage my time and how to be more organized when I’m at a workplace,” he said.

India Stubbs spent part of her internship working with shop floor management on programs such as Stellantis Production Way, the company’s approach to deliver best-in-class performance and exceptional value for customers. “This internship has taught me a lot,” she said. “I’m learning more hands-on with the floor, how can we solve the issues.”

Quentin Leapheart, business resource manager at Mack, described the eight-week, paid internship as a “very beneficial program” for the students and the company.

“They’re getting some hands-on experience, getting an idea of what being in the work force is like, and what it’s like to be in manufacturing – a little bit of everything,” Leapheart said of the interns.

And as for Stellantis: “I believe the program benefits the company a great deal, because the company has an opportunity to interact with potential future employees,” Leapheart said. “Students give new ideas that help broaden the organization as a whole.”