CareSource expands information technology high school internship program

CareSource is working with local high school students through their Information Technology (IT) Internship Program to help them gain access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career pathways, and gain real-world experience in a variety of technology careers.  

CareSource, who sees technology as a strategic differentiator, in 2021 set out to build a deep IT talent pipeline by investing in high school students who want to learn, grow, and have a long successful IT career. 

“You don’t have to have a four-year college degree to have a successful technology career,” said Devon Valencia, Chief Information Officer at CareSource.  “Everyone has a different path; some students may choose to attend a university, while others may choose not to or can’t afford to.  We want all students, regardless of their background and economic status to have the ability to explore career pathways and have long and successful careers in IT.”

CareSource began the IT High School Internship Program in the fall of 2021 with the goal of creating more tech jobs in Ohio.  Since 2021, 17 students have participated in the program, with more expected to participate in 2023. The CareSource IT internship program includes a spring and fall cohort where students are paid to work 10-20 hours a week for 13 weeks. 

The CareSource IT department offers many different opportunities to high school students to work in a wide range of IT jobs.  Potential interns can interview for positions in cybersecurity, project management, release management, operations, software testing and software development.

During their internship, high school students are paired with IT mentors who support their development.  “Within CareSource, the leaders who work with interns are genuinely interested in their success, growing their career, and helping them get to the next level by ensuring they have the tools they need to be successful,” said Asa Perry, IT Cyber Defense Manager and intern mentor at CareSource.

Unlike job shadowing, CareSource offers a unique opportunity to have hands-on access to their teams and the work they are doing.  Intern mentors want students to be involved with the job, learning the skills, and gaining on-the-job experience. 

“This internship is a great learning experience. It is one thing to read about the industry, but another to have it in practice,” said Sha’Maria Barton, Cyber Defense Intern at CareSource.  “I’m surrounded by good people who teach me and want me to be successful.”

CareSource partners with SOCHE (Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education) to identify candidates for the internship program. A group of 23 colleges and universities in Ohio collaborates with schools in two areas: professional development and workforce development.  Their workforce development program works with local businesses to match them with students and host student interns.

“We realized years ago in talking with businesses building their next generation workforce that we needed to start at a younger age, that’s why we began focusing on high school students,” said Cassie Barlow, President of SOCHE.  “We believe we are helping to build the next generation workforce for CareSource and other businesses.  We are reaching out to local and diverse young adults and providing them experiences they might not have had in the past.”

With the success of the CareSource IT internship program, the CareSource human resources department plans on extending the program across the organization this fall providing students interested in health care, finance, marketing, and other non-IT positions the opportunity for real-world, hands-on experience.  The High School Internship Program complements CareSource’s already successful College Internship program that runs every May through August.