State cuts off program funding

The funding will be cut a year early.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ohio is ending a state-funded internship program that gave about 70 Youngstown State University students experience in engineering, engineering technology and computer science jobs over the past two years.
Funding was to be continued through June 2007, but the university learned recently that the state has decided to end the program this June instead, said Dr. Cynthia S. Hirtzel, dean of the William Rayen College of Engineering and Technology.
The university had acted quickly to apply for funding when Gov. Bob Taft unveiled the program as part of his Third Frontier Project designed to increase the number of high-tech jobs in Ohio. It's been a successful effort at YSU so far, Hirtzel said.
"I was flabbergasted," she said, noting that she was preparing to enlist more local companies when she learned of the new funding cutoff date.
Wants it to continue
YSU would like to see the program continue, and the coordinator of the Third Frontier Internship Program, in announcing the funding cut in an e-mail to participating schools, has suggested that a list of success stories might persuade state leaders to change their minds and restore funding.
Representatives of grant recipients will meet in Columbus later this month or in early February to discuss strategy.
Hirtzel said she began contacting Mahoning Valley companies that could take advantage of the program even before funding was approved, and there was immediate interest. She's been able to place about 70 students in engineering, engineering technology or computer science intern positions, she said.
Participating companies are eligible for up to $3,000 in salary reimbursement for an intern for 26 weeks, and Hirtzel said YSU's program has paid out between $160,000 and $170,000 so far.
The program started for only juniors and seniors but was expanded to include sophomore and graduate engineering students as well, she said.
Benefits
As of April 2004, nearly 30 companies, from start-up businesses to long-established firms, were participating.
"Some of them took more than one intern," Hirtzel said, adding that a number of interns also got full-time jobs with those same companies after graduation.
The hands-on experience a student gains "sort of brings your curriculum to life," she said. It also helps them get a job after graduation, she said.
"Most of my students want to stay in the Youngstown area," Hirtzel said, adding that working with companies where they can find employment after graduation helps keep them here.
It also pays them to work in their chosen field while continuing their education. The intern pay scale starts at $10 an hour, she said.
Companies get ready and able part-time help at reduced or no cost and have the bonus of access to some of the university's high-tech equipment that they can't afford on their own.
The interns have access to those facilities, Hirtzel explained.
The university, as a public entity, has a responsibility to reach out to the community to help meet its needs, and the internship program is one way to do that, Hirtzel said.
The university is urging participating companies and those who would like to take part to complete their selection of interns for the spring semester immediately. They can still have that person on staff through June, Hirtzel said.
gwin@vindy.com