Technology is one of Ohio’s fastest-growing industries with sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Semiconductors, analytics, and more. To ensure these industries can fill the over 89,900 technology job openings*, Ohio is providing a sneak peek to our future workforce through an exciting internship program. Additionally, this experience helps give our future technologists insights and exploration into the in-demand tech jobs here in Ohio.
Filling the Labor Gap
The High School Tech Internship v3.0 pilot program is a competitive opportunity for?Ohio?employers to receive reimbursement for establishing a recruitment pipeline by hosting high school interns in tech-related roles. Educational entities, like the ESC, work closely with business partners to apply for this program.
The goal of the High School Tech Internship is to provide businesses with the tech talent they need while also providing students with valuable work experience at an early age. Interns will be expected to perform job duties like what is expected of an entry-level employee in technology roles that focus on software development, data, cloud and IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other technology-focused roles.
Win/Win Situation
Last summer, the ESC supported fourteen high school interns across Central Ohio. The students experienced working environments from team-focused learning and working, to a remote experience. Employers involved with the program mentioned how impressed they were with the students’ preparedness, willingness to ask questions, adapting to a working environment, and working with the ESC as their intermediary.
Students directly benefit from programs like this earning certifications towards their graduation requirements. Nick Haskins, a student at Canal Winchester School District, who worked in last year’s internship cohort loved “taking the hands-on approach that I learned in class, and applying that to troubleshooting, motherboards, and cabling; to make it work.”
For tech businesses that are looking to expand their talent pool, there are even more benefits of partnering with educational entities:
- Creating an image of corporate social responsibility: By engaging students, businesses demonstrate how they are paying it forward by investing in future leaders in their own communities
- Developing a talent pipeline: By engaging students in training and apprenticeship opportunities at an earlier age, companies can begin to build their future talent pipelines, which leads to employee retention and lower training costs in the long run
- Tax benefits: Businesses can write off donations to schools, including time invested through mentorship, donations of equipment or training.
- Students with skills: By creating work-based learning, mentorships, internships and other career-connected experiences for students, businesses gain a generation that is on the forefront of technological advancements, with great professional and technical skills
- Influencing local curriculum: Businesses can have an influence on what is taught in schools to help ensure that students are learning skills that are valuable in the workplace.
- Strong schools create a positive community for your business: Employees want to work in a community where they feel connected and where they want to send their kids to school.
In addition, businesses will be reimbursed up to 100 percent of the wages paid to interns to encourage employers to hire high school students in technology roles. Businesses also will be eligible to earn bonuses for each student that earns a credential.
For additional information on the program, and the process for enrollment, click here.
Ohio is doubling down on its efforts to increase job opportunities for the future workforce with this tech internship program. If your district or business has an interest in participating in this year’s IT internship program as the educational entity and have questions on how to get started, or would like the ESC to help, feel free to reach out to John Hambrick – [email protected]
John Hambrick is the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at the ESC of Central Ohio. John has been engaging and collaborating with Central Ohio businesses, area Economic Development professionals, educational partners, and training institutions for the past 20 years.
John is a community connector, helping organizations with workforce solutions, including talent pipeline development, hiring events, retention strategies, training solutions, and key professional networking groups.
Since 2019, John has advocated for stronger business and industry alignment and participation with the K-12 ecosystem across Central Ohio as well as promoting key initiatives affecting Ohio’s adult and student workforce.