Did you know students who complete paid internships as undergraduates have much higher rates of post graduate employment and often start at higher salaries than the rest of their classmates?

With this in mind, the State of Ohio is preparing to re-launch their Ohio Third Frontier (OTF) Internship Program to connect students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented minority groups, with internship opportunities at Ohio’s most innovative early-stage technology companies.

OTF Internships will offer competitive pay for entrepreneurial minded undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in business, communications, liberal arts, engineering or other STEM related fields. Minority and women students are strongly encouraged to apply, since one of the major goals of this program is to increase the number of diverse student interns working for early stage tech startups.

African American and Hispanic college graduates have historically faced lower pay , higher unemployment rates and lower levels of wealth than their white and Asian counterparts. By connecting diverse college students to employment opportunities through paid internships with the most promising companies of the future, The OTF is leading the way toward pay and employment equity for women and minority graduates, which will lead to a more vibrant and prosperous economy for Ohio.

About half of all racial and ethnic minority students have an interest in starting their own businesses, compared to 37% of white students.  Working for an early stage startup provides these students with greater opportunities to flex their entrepreneurial muscles, and they will likely learn more in this setting than any business or entrepreneurship class could teach. Of course it’s great for the companies too, since diverse teams working in an inclusive culture contribute to increased innovation and better overall financial outcomes.

Increasingly, companies are realizing that diversity is good for business. Taking part in the OTF internship program gives them access to the kind of diverse entrepreneurial talent that will bring new ideas, experiences, market knowledge and perspectives to the table.  In exchange, diverse interns have a chance to gain valuable experiences that will stand out on a resume, or even prepare them to be successful in establishing their own innovative ventures.

So, if you are a female or minority student looking to make a positive impact on the future of Ohio’s economy while significantly improving your personal odds of success post- graduation, apply for the OTF internship program today.