Wabash Internship Program Seeks Purdue Problem Solvers

From interns to full-time employees

Wabash strives to have interns work for the company after they have graduated. Upon completing their internships, Begley and Zirkle were hired as part-time Wabash employees. After graduation, they were hired full-time.

Begley is in the emerging leadership development program, rotating through different areas in the company. Currently, he is with the supply chain group for truck bodies, buying the extrusion parts for all the sites in the U.S.

“The transitions from intern to part-time employee and from part-time to full-time has been beneficial,” Begley said. “I learned how the business works, and by rotating through different areas now with my current job, I understand the business structure and culture even more.”

Zirkle is a production supervisor. He is responsible for everything that happens within his section of the assembly line, from managing a safe work environment and meeting the production schedule to maintaining quality product standards and managing other employees.

“I loved the team that I worked with as an intern; I’m still working with them now. Every day it’s fun to come to work. We do a lot to keep the camaraderie high,” Zirkle said. “Also, we’re starting a new line, so I’m excited to work on a project the size of which Wabash has never taken on before.”

Richmann said Wabash will complement its summer internship program to continue to develop its early career talent pipeline.

“We are launching a co-op pilot program,” Richmann said. “Interns work only over the summer, but a co-op project they can work in the fall and spring while they’re in school, and full-time over the summer.”

Recruiting summer 2024 interns

The current class of interns will conclude their work at Wabash in August. The company will have a very visible presence on the Purdue campus to begin recruiting the 2024 class in September.

“There are several ways students can learn about the Wabash summer internship program and our co-op pilot program,” Richmann said. “I welcome students connecting with me on LinkedIn; they also can find a lot of information on our LinkedIn career pages and our career site.”