Dive Brief:
- Ohio State University has created a pathway for students that funnels them to Ohio-based Hyland Software for internships and welcomes them back with jobs in the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
- According to eCampus News, Hyland identifies the best students through its own internship screening process, providing a pool of capable, trained student technicians who return to campus ready to work.
- OSU has tried to replicate the arrangement with other vendors but so far has seen success only with Hyland.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities must not forget that the extra work of forging internship and job opportunities for students can have return benefits for the institution. At Ohio State, the Office of the CIO has its pick of trained potential employees. Other colleges are training students on the IT help desk, using these work-study employees to do preventative maintenance, and improving response times as well as institutional satisfaction in the process. These experiences make students more marketable when they begin their job searches and they serve the dual purpose of helping institutions improve services at affordable rates.
As more students enroll in higher education with their future jobs at the top of mind, colleges will be pressured to create more opportunities like OSU’s, offering direct pathways to waiting jobs.