Did you begin your career in Columbia? The capital city was recently ranked as the No. 5 best city to begin a career in the US in a WalletHub study, which compared the availability of entry-level jobs, average starting salary, cost of living, and more.

This is good news. So, what is the Soda City doing to keep our talent pool here post-graduation? There’s a cool new program designed to do just that.

Capture Columbia was created by Columbia Opportunity Resource (better known as COR) + the Midlands Business Leadership Group for summer interns and associates at local companies to show them why they should keep their homegrown talent right here.

What does the program include?

The program includes 4 events to educate the participants on the ins and outs of Columbia. Additionally, providing the opportunity to build personal and professional connections, hearing from speakers + sharing exclusive experiences throughout the summer.

Outside of the 4 events, other social and community service opportunities will be provided.

Who is eligible to participate?

Anyone who is currently working in an internship, associateship, apprenticeship, summer job, or a similar position with a business, organization, or government in Columbia.

The program officially kicked off this week; however, applications remain open (a limited number of spots are still available). The first class will run through Aug. 3. Graduation requirements include participating in at least 3 events throughout the summer. Upon completion of each event, participants will receive a passport stamp.

Complete the application to be considered for the summer 2021 class of Capture Columbia. Click the button below for the full schedule of events.