Ohio Third Frontier will double the number of internships targeted to increase the diversity of the state's future technology workforce.
Commissioners approved $3 million on Tuesday for the Diversity & Inclusion Technology Internship, enough for about 350 interns over two rounds this fall and next summer.
"It's been almost doubling every year, and it's fantastic growth," Third Frontier Executive Director Scott Ryan said in a teleconference commission meeting. "We're poised to really grow."
The number of slots can double even though funding is increasing 50% from the current $2 million, Ryan said, by lowering the maximum reimbursement per intern to more accurately reflect how employers have used the program.
The state-backed bond fund first created the D&I internship in 2018, a modification of general technology internships offered on and off over the previous decade. Anyone may apply, but Third Frontier works with colleges and community organizations to recruit female students and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Just 20% were white males of the 576 interns placed from 2018 through the first round this year, according to statistics from the Ohio Development Services Agency, which manages Third Frontier.
Third Frontier covers half of an intern's wages for a maximum $10,000 from the state. Participating businesses rarely came close to that cap, Ryan said, so the program would allot the maximum number of internships but have money left over. Lowering the maximum to $7,500 allows adding more slots while still covering nearly all actual expenses.
Through 2020, employers sought reimbursement for only $1.6 million of a total $4.1 million approved. Only 25% of the grants were claimed in 2020 because of reduced hours through the coronavirus pandemic.
Employers can be either technology companies or non-tech businesses needing help on a technology project such as building an app. They are required to assign interns real work, and during the pandemic remote work was allowed. So far interns have helped develop websites and mobile apps, analyze market data, build social media platforms, design augmented reality experiences and implement software such as in accounting and cybersecurity.
Central and Northeast Ohio have been the heaviest users of the program with about 200 interns apiece.
