Need an Intern in 2015-2016? Well, MHTA has the program for you! It’s called SciTechsperience and it’s 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.
The program is administered by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) through a grant from the 
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Best thing of all for the college students who are accepted as interns through the program? They get a paid work experience at a STEM-based business (many participate statewide) — with the potential for full-time employment.
Businesses that hire interns via SciTechsperience receive a dollar-for-dollar matching grant to cover 50% of the wages they pay the intern. (Each grant is capped at $2,500.) To be eligible, businesses located in the seven-county metro area must have fewer than 150 employees, and Greater Minnesota businesses (that means out-state) must have fewer than 250 employees worldwide.
Students and businesses can view requirements and apply to take part in the program here.
“We know Minnesota will 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. It’s 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, which can now be up to 450 over the next two years! Note: the grants 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.”
Here’s what a past intern has to say: “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 a 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.”
And a past employer in the program adds this: “We think 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.
“SciTechsperience” is an internship program that connects college students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines to paid internships in small to mid-sized Minnesota companies.
About the Minnesota High Tech Association
MHTA is an innovation and technology association united in fueling Minnesota’s prosperity and making Minnesota a top-five technology state. It helps bring together the people of Minnesota’s technology ecosystem and leads the charge in directing technology issues to Minnesota’s state capitol. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application, and education in Minnesota. Find out more online at MHTA.org. or follow MHTA on Twitter @MHTA.