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Posted: 4:59 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013

$11M for college internships, co-ops approved

By Meagan Pant

Staff Writer

Final approval was given this week for Ohio colleges and universities to spend $11 million to create as many as 3,500 internships and co-ops for students, an effort that will better prepare students for jobs after they graduate, contribute to a more highly trained workforce and help the state attract more businesses, experts say.

Twenty-two schools in Ohio will participate with grants funded through casino license fees. The awards require matching funds from employers and the $11 million was contingent upon Monday’s approval from the Ohio Controlling Board.

“Our goal is to have educated and skilled people to fill jobs currently available or that employers expect to open in the next few years.” said State Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, who sits on the controlling board. “Creating jobs in Ohio is only successful if we have a trained workforce to fill the jobs.”

Having a trained workforce is a top concern for businesses considering relocating to Ohio, said State Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City.

“They’re not going to come here unless, first and foremost, they can find the people they need to run the machines and do the computer work and make the sells,” Beagle said. “If we don’t have the people for the jobs, the jobs aren’t going to be here.”

Beagle said the grants will help employers more easily afford to hire interns, and the experience working with a local company may help keep more of Ohio’s college students in the state after graduation.

With the controlling board approval, the state can move forward with awarding the grants, said Ohio Board of Regents spokesman Jeff Robinson. The University of Cincinnati, Ohio State and Wright State universities were awarded the highest amounts, at $1.8 million, $1.5 million and $1.3 million, respectively.

“You can’t overstate the value and importance of the internship or co-op experience for Ohio’s students,” Robinson said.

$11 million will create internships and co-ops for college students states. Local colleges and universities will receive the following grants:

Antioch College - $140,676, creates up to 12 co-op employer relationships for 36 students in the Ohio food production/processing industry.

Central State University - $18,000, will expand an existing student support program that matches students with potential business and industry employers.

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College - $123,000, builds new co-op program infrastructure at the Butler County Workforce Center in Middletown.

Clark State Community College - $28,965, will support up to 20 interns with embedded faculty and technology staff at the Advanced Virtual Engine Test Cell Inc. (AVETEC), a not-for-profit public benefit research organization in Springfield that helps local technology employers solve business problems.

Miami University - $81,000, will allow the Engineering Technology and Computer IT programs at Miami’s Middletown and Hamilton campuses to increase the number and degree areas of co-ops and internships that are paid and for credit.

Sinclair Community College - $203,140, will create new internships in manufacturing, IT and biohealth in the Dayton region by providing students with scholarships and businesses with access to Sinclair students.

University of Cincinnati - $1,822,373, will create hundreds of internships and allow the university to continuously monitor the development and needs of the industry clusters in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, and incentivize students and employers with scholarships for placements.

University of Dayton - $253,995, will add up to 20 internships and enhance the help given by the UD Engineering Co-op office to UD and Sinclair Community College students in obtaining co-op and internship positions.

Wright State University - $1,304,631, will create up to 100 internships and align with the Board of Regents’ Aerospace & Aviation Workforce Strategy Report to implement curricular reform and institutional reform, influence high school students with co-ops, and provide more work-based learning.

Source: Ohio Board of Regents

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