Talent

Regions with a vibrant economy attract and retain college graduates. A new state program is going to make it a little easier for college grads to stay home in Ohio. Under the program college grads with Ohio roots can receive state assistance for up to 2.5% of the price of a new home purchase. The catch is you have to live in Ohio for five years. For me, that's not much of a catch.

Learn more by visiting the web site of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which is sponsoring the program.

Let me know if you or someone you know intends to take advantage of this program.

What would you be willing to do to give this region a $2.8 billion boost?

Recently this Akron Beacon Journal editorial highlighted research by CEOs for Cities that found that if Northeast Ohio could boost its college attainment rate by just one percentage point then the region's economy would grow by $2.8 billion. Presently, about 25% of the region's residents have at least a four-year college degree. That's actually up about three percentage points since 2000. So Northeast Ohio is making progress. However, high growth regions across the country have college attainment rates north of 35%.

The Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) is among the region's organizations that is working to increase the region's number of college graduates. One of its most promising programs helps employers develop internship programs and helps students get that all-important introduction to the world of work. Check out NEOIntern.net to learn more.

Again, what would you be willing to do give this region a $2.8 billion boost? Here are a few choices. What do you think?

All four priorities of Advance Northeast Ohio are interrelated and sometimes projects highlight those connections very clearly. Such is the case with Northeast Ohio's annual entrepreneurship competition among the region's colleges. The competition hosted by the Entrepreneurial Education Consortium demonstrates the progress the region is making to both prepare our residents for the future and to generate more entrepreneurial companies.

What made this year's competition even more interesting, this year's winning team was made up of representatives from four different colleges. Now that's regional collaboration.

Learn more about the edible idea generated by the winners in this article from Marcia Pledger of the Plain Dealer.

This Thursday, August 6, JumpStart TechLift Advisors, in association with NOCHE, will be sponsoring a free panel discussion to help students understand the opportunities at Northeast Ohio’s small technology companies, how to access them for internships, and how to secure full-time positions after graduation. The event will be held from 5-8 p.m. at JumpStart's headquarters: 737 Bolivar Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.

The panel will include CEOs and hiring managers at small technology companies, as well as students who held internships and recently found jobs at small to mid-sized companies. They discussion will introduce students to the growing list of entrepreneurial tech companies in Northeast Ohio, as well as discuss :

• How is working in a small company environment different from a large company? In what respects is it better?
• What should students focus on to best attract interest from small technology companies?
• What traits should a student display in an interview with a small technology company?
• What do small company employers want to see from new hires?
• How does a student best connect with small companies?

This event is an excellent opportunity for students looking for a full-time job in Northeast Ohio in a growing sector, and a great way to unite young talent and innovative Northeast Ohio companies (plus it's FREE).

To sign up and for more information, click here. 

Chris Mather, president of TechLift, has an offer that might sound too good to be true, but it isn't. There is money available to help your company hire interns.

As Chris wrote in a recent post on the JumpStart blog?

Investing in our young people, those who are from Northeast Ohio as well as those who attend college in Northeast Ohio, is particularly important to our region. We have all heard about the “quiet crisis” and “brain drain” with regard to Northeast Ohio. Having the prospect of a good job in Northeast Ohio will keep our students here, and will ultimately make our region more vibrant and economically strong.

“So what about that free money?” you ask. There are a number of subsidized internship programs for Northeast Ohio technology entrepreneurial companies that will help pay for the interns you should hire anyway:

• Third Frontier Internship Program - This program subsidizes interns from Ohio universities and colleges and Ohio students at other colleges and universities who are enrolled in scientific, mathematics, technology and engineering programs.
  •  50% subsidy of paid wages, up to $3000 per intern
  • For more information go to www.noche.org, http://thirdfrontierintern.ohio.gov or call the program manager, Halley Marsh, at (216) 420-9292 x234
    
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