State to help businesses and college students

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Export Internship Program state is helping businesses that want to market their products to the world and providing Youngstown State University students with international business experience.

The program seeks Ohio companies that want to export their goods or services. About 50 students will be selected for this year’s program, including 10 students from YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration, a new partner to the program. The remaining 40 students will be chosen from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

“Businesses who have participated in previous years have generated millions of dollars in revenue and have created new jobs as a result of this program,” said David Goodman, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency.

The goal of the internship is to help Ohio companies focus on increasing their global exports, while training students in international business. The program provides a 50 percent reimbursement for the intern’s wages.

The Ohio Development Services Agency pairs students with Ohio businesses committed to expanding into international markets.

In the first three years of the program, 60 student-company matches were created, resulting in more than $11 million in expected global sales and three full-time job offers.

The deadline for companies to apply is Dec. 10. The 2015 internship program runs from May 11 through Aug. 9.