Ohio Agency Gets Exporting Award for Internship Program
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Development Services Agency’s Export Assistance Office has been awarded the President’s “E” Award for its Ohio Export Internship Program.
The award, presented by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, is the highest recognition any U.S. organization can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. Ohio was among 123 honorees Pritzker presented awards to Monday.
“The ‘E’ Awards Committee was very impressed with the Ohio Development Services Agency’s dedication to promoting exports from businesses in Ohio,” Pritzker said in announcing the award. “The agency’s collaboration with state institutions to promote student internships was also particularly notable.”
The Ohio Export Internship Program was created in partnership with The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in 2012. The program combines a spring semester export-focused course with a paid summer internship focusing on export sales growth. The program began with nine students in 2012 and has grown to include 43 students from 12 Ohio universities and colleges. In 2014, Youngstown State University became a partner in the program.
In the past four years, students have helped generate more than $500,000 in direct export sales for their companies and more than $19.5 million in estimated global sales, according to the award announcement. Of the 83 companies that have participated, 34 have offered internship extensions and 17 have made full-time job offers.
“Ohio businesses have generated millions of dollars in sales and created jobs as a result of this program,” said David Goodman, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “Thanks to the hard work of our staff and university partners, we are excited to be nationally recognized for our exporting efforts.”
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
