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There are a growing number of calls for more internship opportunities in Northeast Ohio.
The latest call comes following a NorTech study. Chuck Soder at Crain's Cleveland Business wrote the following in a recent story:
There are an estimated 11,000 open IT jobs in the region, but recent college graduates in the field say they can’t find the experience required to fill the positions, according to the Northeast Ohio Information Technology Workforce Report.
Part of the problem is that only one in five IT employers in the region offer work-based learning experience for students, which has resulted in a lack of real-world experience that many IT companies seek, said Dr. Roy Church, president of Lorain County Community College.
“Work experience equals employment,” said Dr. Church, whose school conducted some of the research for the study.
The study involved a survey of 480 Northeast Ohio IT employers, including companies that produce an IT-related product as well as businesses in other industries that have more than 25 IT employees. It also included a survey of all the higher education institutions in the region as well as interviews with educators and people who recently graduated from local colleges with degrees related to IT.
A commission looking at higher education in Northeast Ohio recently called for a tripling of the number of internships available in the region. One valuable resource for students looking for internship opportunities is ClevelandIntern.net, a web site operated by the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education.
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Comments
When computer aided drafting came to this area, businesses and colleges scrambled to form user groups and in-house training to streamline converting pen and ink draftsman and drawings to CAD. Also a non-engineer high school drafting student was good enough to be trained to do specific work by the business involved. Things are so different today. Businesses are demanding new IT people be well versed and fully trained and experienced right out of school. Schools only have time to teach a general IT education. Businesses need to return to the train our own ethic. Businesses need to install IT doors so new folks can come in. This too is investing in America.
Internships, entry level positions, in-house training should be part of the effort to bring technology to NE Ohio.
As a undergraduate student at Kent State University, I understand how difficult it can be to secure an internship. The problem we face as students, and as recent graduates, is the idea that to be hired, we must have experience. Unfortunately, we can't get the experience we need without first being hired. The problem does not exist only in the area of information technology (IT), but across a much larger spectrum, including areas like marketing, public relations, etc. The majority of my peers are willing to complete unpaid internships, simply to gain experience; however, they are competing for a handful of available positions. I think that a tripling of the number of internships available in the region would be a positive, and much needed, change.
I have a small business that I started a year ago. After spending 15 years in Technology. I have been considering having summer help. I would be open to creating an IT position. I work in many environments. IT networks, workstation support, web design & computer ordering and rebuilding. If this is of interest to anyone in need of experience please contact me at Kristen@Maagconsulting. I know that every job I have ever had has provided the experience I needed for the next. Experience is Important. I am located in Carrollton, Ohio and try to keep my work local.
Kristen,
Thanks for posting your offer of an internship on this site. I hope you get some worthwhile responses. I also want to bring to your attention the site www.neotechjobs.org, which can help you find the tech help you need to succeed.
Thank you.