At Southern State Community College, students have the opportunity to participate in internships and co-op placements as a pathway to connecting education with employment. On April 14, the college will join the state in recognizing Ohio Internship and Co-op Appreciation Day.

Gov. John Kasich recently signed into law Senate Bill 227, sponsored by Sen. Bill Beagle, “to designate the second Tuesday of April as Ohio Internship and Co-op Appreciation Day.” Senator Beagle’s office worked closely with the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) to envision the bill and present proponent testimony to the Ohio Senate and House.

“The internship/coop program at Southern State has been very beneficial to our students and employers,” said Amy McClellan, SSCC Coordinator of Academic Partnerships. “We have seen several full-time placements of our students after a successful completion of internships at companies in the area. Students have found this experience valuable in bringing application from classroom into the workforce. This is also a great way for the college to build community partnerships that will allow us to align our teachings in the classroom to the expectations of the industry. I am very excited to see where the program leads us in the coming years.”

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, in 2014, internship hiring saw positive increases in three core areas: conversion rates, offer rates, and acceptance rates. This is also true in Ohio. A growing number of Ohio companies are recognizing internships as a recruitment strategy for finding top talent and resulting in more interns receiving job offers after graduation. These efforts could help Ohio keep its talent so it can remain competitive in the global economy.

“The idea behind having an annual Ohio Internship and Co-Op Appreciation Day is both to celebrate and raise awareness of the value of internship and co-op opportunities in our state and to promote the creation of more internship and co-op programs at businesses throughout the state,” said Senator Beagle.

To learn more about internship and co-op opportunities available at Southern State Community College, please visit www.sscc.edu/services/ohio-means-internships.shtml or call Amy McClellan at 1-800-628-7722, ext. 2785.