This looks like I great experience for anyone lucky enough to participate. I learned about it through the MHTA…

SciTechsperience Internship Program kicks off new program year with 200 matching grants

MHTA — The SciTechsperience Internship Program is now accepting student and company applications for the 2015-2016 program year. SciTechsperience connects college students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines to internships in small Minnesota companies.

SciTechsperience is administered by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

College students who become interns will receive a paid work experience at STEM-based businesses statewide with potential for full-time employment. Businesses that hire interns receive a dollar for dollar matching grant to cover 50 percent of wages paid. The grants are capped at $2,500. To be eligible, businesses located in the 7-county metro area must have fewer than 150 employees, and Greater Minnesota businesses must have fewer than 250 employees, worldwide. Students and businesses can view requirements and apply to take part in the program at http://scitechmn.org/.

“We know that Minnesota is going to need more STEM workers if our state is going to continue to have a strong economy,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president & CEO of MHTA. “The SciTechsperience Internship Program is a way to develop that workforce and keep them here in Minnesota. SciTechsperience has been a great success and we’re excited for the new program year to begin.”

Last session, the Minnesota Legislature increased funding for SciTechsperience to $2 million over the 2016-2017 budget cycle. The funding will be used to double the number of matching grants, now up to 450 over the next two years, which are available on a first-come, first-hired basis.

“Minnesota is fortunate to have incredibly talented students and great companies looking for future talent,” said Becky Siekmeier, SciTechsperience Program Director. “SciTechsperience is bringing these two groups together, offering students valuable hands-on experience and businesses access to potential future employees. SciTechsperience is an absolute win-win for everyone involved.”

“Before this internship, I really didn’t know what happened on a day-to-day basis in an engineering company,” said Isaiah Salinas, intern at Kit Masters in Perham. “In class they teach you about the equations you may need and the concepts you’ll need to know. However, until you get out and see what happens in a company and in a position, you don’t really have any good ideas about how and when to use each equation or which concepts are applicable. Internships provide that leap in understanding from knowing how to solve a coefficient of friction problem, to knowing how to gather information and actually solve it outside a textbook.”

“We think that offering students opportunities to participate in small to medium sized biotech companies near the end of their undergraduate career is invaluable,” said Nancy Timm with Rebiotix in Roseville. “This is a fantastic program, and we will continue to participate as long as it is available.”

SciTechsperience was established in January, 2012 to offer college students pursuing STEM degrees the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in solving real-world challenges. The program is designed to expand a pool of talent to support Minnesota companies commercializing new technology, products and processes. MHTA, through the SciTechsperience program, has placed 380 students in internships from since 2012. More than 900 students applied for internships in the last program year.