ESC Awarded 2026 HSTI Grant
![ESC Awarded 2026 HSTI Grant]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1771338553/esccoorg/ty6uzchlz8tp1kd3naop/high-school-tech-internship.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1771338553/esccoorg/ty6uzchlz8tp1kd3naop/high-school-tech-internship.png","width":413}])
The Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation announced the opening of a new internship round for Ohio students and businesses looking to make an impact in technology fields. The High School Tech Internship Program offers Ohio employers wage reimbursement for hosting high school interns in tech-related roles, helping businesses establish a recruitment pipeline while providing students with valuable work experience at an early age.
Interns will perform job duties similar to those of entry-level employees in technology roles, including AI, software development, data, and IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, broadband/5G, and other tech-focused fields. Employers can be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the wages paid to interns, with a cap of $5,000 per intern, to encourage businesses to hire high school students for these positions.
After several years of successful implementation, the ESC was again awarded a grant to serve as the intermediary for the Central Ohio region (see map of regions). As an intermediary, the ESC, in partnership with BridgED, will administer the program in a seamless fashion between the State of Ohio, educational entities, and businesses. Serving as the single point of contact for businesses and educational entities will allow the needs of both to be supported by the intermediary throughout the entirety of the internship process.
The 2026 High School Tech Internship application period began on January 2, 2026, and will close on June 12, 2026. To enroll in the program, individual students or school districts must contact the ESC to be connected to a business that is hosting an internship experience.
To learn more about the state of Ohio's High School Tech Internship Program, see here: https://workforce.ohio.gov/initiatives/initiatives/hstechinternshipprogram.
To learn more about participating in the High School Tech Internship Program in the Central Ohio region, email hsti@escco.org, or see here: https://www.escco.org/services/workforce-readiness-collaborative/high-school-tech-internship-program.