"The Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program is focused on keeping the best that Ohio has to offer in Ohio," said Patrick Hood,
President and CEO of Cornerstone Research Group. "It works for the students that participate as interns, for the companies that
hire the interns, for the technical business environment in Ohio, and for the entire state."
Cornerstone Research Group, an engineering firm
in Dayton, has sponsored more than 70 Ohio Third
Frontier interns and hired a dozen as full-time
employees. This is just one of many stories that have
resulted from a program that has helped place more
than 3,000 students in 700-plus companies throughout
Ohio.
The Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program is
helping develop a pool of talented workers for
Ohio's businesses, creating enriching student work
experiences in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math) disciplines, and assisting those students in obtaining permanent full-time employment in Ohio
after graduation. This is facilitated by Development's
Workforce and Talent Division that provides both a
matchmaking mechanism for businesses and students
and direct reimbursement to businesses of 50 percent
of the cost of the internship up to $3,000, an invaluable
resource for Ohio companies and students.
"In essence, (an internship) is a 'job interview' for the intern," according to a Glatfelter
representative. "We feel that the program is a terrific recruiting tool and a great
investment for our company."
Yost Engineering is a highly successful developer of healthcare and robotics products located in Portsmouth. The company has consistently achieved a growth rate of 15-20 percent annually. Yost has sponsored Ohio Third Frontier interns for the last three years, and has hired five as full-time developers with educational backgrounds in computer science and engineering.
"As a small company, the relationship we build with students during their internships and the ability to
leverage this relationship upon full-time hire is a key factor in our success," stated a spokesperson for Yost
engineering. "Hands-on live product-line experience allows (Ohio Third Frontier Interns) to come on board
at a much higher performance level than a typical new grad."
Ajax Tocco Magnethermic in the City of Warren got a second chance after suffering through financial realignment troubles in 2002. Ajax Tocco was able to leverage the affordable high quality talent they attracted through the Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program. Over the last few years, Ajax Tocco has had a dozen interns that have worked in their Sales and Engineering and Research departments, many of whom were hired to full-time positions.
"The matching money has been key in helping Ajax Tocco grow the company with new talent,"
said a representative from Ajax Tocco. "Because these students are all top of the class, they have been key contributors to its success."
Ajax Tocco reports that it has been experiencing growth
of 15 percent annually designing and manufacturing
world-class heating and melting equipment.
While the value that Ohio companies receive by
attracting affordable, highly skilled talent is significant,
the work experience and career boost the interns
themselves receive proves to be invaluable. Ohio Third
Frontier interns get the chance to explore exciting
career opportunities with companies here at home
in Ohio.
Erik Kinor, a third-year engineering student at the
University of Toledo, was an intern with Dmytryka
Jacobs Engineers of Toledo. Kinor was hired by the firm
after graduation.
"I was able to learn what an Electrical Engineer does on a day-to-day basis by actually working with them
and put some of the skills I already learned to use," Kinor said. "If it were not for the Ohio Third Frontier
Internship Program, it would have been a lot more difficult for me to acquire a full-time position at an
engineering firm right out of college."
Matthew Hlavacek graduated Summa Cum Laude in Computer Information Sciences from Cleveland State University and into a full-time job with Pointe Blank Solutions, a software development company in Middleburg Heights. Matthew spent a year as an Ohio Third Frontier intern with Pointe Blank before being hired.
"While learning in class gave me knowledge of development, logic, and advanced computer skills, it
was through my internship at Pointe Blank Solutions that truly gave me the competitive edge in the
workforce," said Hlavacek. "Most employers want to see real world skills when looking to hire someone,
so an internship was a perfect opportunity to get 'on the job' experience."
