Traditional high school settings are changing and college/career readiness is leading the way. With the right approach, internships can provide a place for high school students to both build and prove their skills for future employers. Studies show that those students who focus on a career early on are more likely to be motivated to stay on track for graduation and follow through with a post-secondary plan - whether it be a college or career pathway.
As the Dayton area's current demand for skilled workers continues to rise due to aging workforce and a widening skills gap, high school interns ARE the perfect solution to fill this need! Internship programs allow businesses to develop a pipeline of bright, qualified candidates, and teach them those hard-to-find skills. Upon their graduation, your interns will be ready to fill your future needs.
So, how can a Milton-Union High School student help bridge Ohio's skills gap?.. With the new Ohio Career Exploration Internship Program!
 Your business has the ability to find the help it needs while also offering high school students the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience AND the State will reimburse your company 50% of the student intern's wages!
The goal is to help Ohio high school students explore potential careers and gain valuable work experience in a professional environment. Students have the opportunity to explore all aspects of a profession and gain better understanding of the training needed to enter a career field.
This internship is a partnership driven program between a business and a student. Working together the student and business identify the goals of the internship and complete an online application. Once the application is approved by the Ohio Development Services Agency, the internship may begin. Program interns are employed for at least 20 weeks and complete at least 200 hours of work and instruction. Upon completion of the internship the business and student complete a final report outlining the achievements of the internship. After review of the report, the business is reimbursed for 50 percent of the intern's wages.
Milton-Union High School is currently looking to build partnerships with local businesses and organizations in order to implement a Career Exploration Program of our own. We have many juniors and seniors that we feel would greatly benefit from an opportunity such as this. Please help us bridge the skills gap and offer students experience in the career field they are looking to pursue in the future!
Interested or need more information? Please feel free to contact me by phone (937-884-7952) or e-mail (woodallt@milton-union.k12.oh.us).