Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center jumpstarts Collinwood High School Industrial Internship Program

Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center (CiiC) has hired two Collinwood High School students as participants in Collinwood High School's Industrial Internship Program. Juniors, Dahryce Hogan and Anthony Battle entered into the program at the end of this school year and will work through the summer along with 2011 Collinwood graduate DeAndre Hairston as an integral part of the maintenance staff of the facility; focusing primarily on maintenance and improvement of the grounds, an area totaling 65 acres. The students will also be directly involved with a planned 48,000 square foot expansion for one of the flagship tenants, NatGasCar. The work will expose the students to a multitude of construction and maintenance skills over the course of the summer.

This program is the brainchild of Councilman Mike Polensek and is intended to attract local, hard-working, disciplined students to the manufacturing businesses in the area. Crystal Maclin, Collinwood High School Principal, was instrumental in assembling a list of candidates suitable for the open positions and worked with CiiC to assure a good fit. The internship, if all parties agree, will lead to a full-time position upon graduation.

It is the hope of the sponsors and participants, that this program will expand after this inaugural period, with dozens of local manufacturing companies participating; bringing local youths and local businesses together. 

 Joe Laumer is the  General Manager of Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center.