Creating opportunities for young professionals to gain professional experience, give back to community, and establish roots in Clinton County, Ohio.
Like much of Ohio, Clinton County has had to confront a continual trend of losing its young and educated population. Following the DHL crisis of 2008, Clinton County’s latest census numbers show trends of an aging population and an educational attainment rate nearly 10 percentage points below that of Ohio. These trends are highlighted concerns especially as the cost to educate young citizens is one of Clinton County’s largest public investments and Clinton County’s future vitality is very much dependent on the attraction and retention of future generations. In an effort to address the issue of “brain drain” in Clinton County, Energize Clinton County (ECC) and the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) started the Clinton Community Fellows program in 2010.
The Clinton Community Fellows Program is a ten-week fellowship program that provides young leaders in Clinton County, Ohio the opportunity to develop valuable skills and experience in a rural, small-city environment. The program recruits and matches young, locally-connected talent with local businesses that have an expressed interest in implementing innovative business development strategies and providing professional opportunities to the fellows.
Under the supervision and mentorship of the program's founding partners—the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission and Energize Clinton County—the Fellows work on a project basis with business partners to provide additional business development capacity that will assist local businesses in achieving their strategic objectives.
In addition to the hands-on business development experience, Fellows take part in networking, volunteer projects, and other community-oriented activities to help build professional relationships and identify opportunities for potential long-term employment in the community.
The 3 goals of the program are to:
Program Support The Fellows program has been made possibly by perennial support from Energize Clinton County (ECC) and the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC)—who oversee the program from beginning to end each year. In addition to the administrative and financial support from ECC and the CCRPC, each year the Fellows program receives financial contributions from the foundations, institutions, local businesses, and local citizens in Clinton County. Each year the program sees many businesses that have participated in the past “pay forward” a contribution to the next year’s program. These financial contributions go to pay for the $3,000 stipends that the fellows receive for 10 weeks of work.
Additionally, the Fellows program is assisted by the small business development organizations already active in our region including the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Southern State Community College Enterprise Center and the Wilmington Institute for Stewardship and Engagement (WISE) program at Wilmington College. By having these expert institutions involved, matches that participate in the program are able to receive additional support beyond the Fellows program and are better equipped to express their specific needs.
The Clinton Community Fellows Program is a ten-week fellowship program that provides young leaders in Clinton County, Ohio the opportunity to develop valuable skills and experience in a rural, small-city environment. The program recruits and matches young, locally-connected talent with local businesses that have an expressed interest in implementing innovative business development strategies and providing professional opportunities to the fellows.
Under the supervision and mentorship of the program's founding partners—the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission and Energize Clinton County—the Fellows work on a project basis with business partners to provide additional business development capacity that will assist local businesses in achieving their strategic objectives.
In addition to the hands-on business development experience, Fellows take part in networking, volunteer projects, and other community-oriented activities to help build professional relationships and identify opportunities for potential long-term employment in the community.
The 3 goals of the program are to:
- Provide real, professional experiences for young professionals. More than an internship program, the Fellows format was designed to empower young professionals to be change agents by pairing their specific skills with a local business willing to discuss a ‘change-focused’ need- one that will change the way the business currently operates- setting up new accounting practices, doing market research for a new product, developing a new channel strategy, establishing a new web or social media presence.
- Extend the opportunity for local businesses/organizations (matches) to receive project support and capacity from capable young professionals at no obligated cost. The projects are ‘change focused’ and the matches are varied—from larger businesses like a tier 1 automotive parts supplier and the local hospital, to local retailers and restaurants. The program allows businesses the capacity to try new things and be more competitive while introducing young professionals to opportunities and organizations.
- Help attract and retain young professionals in Clinton County by strengthening professional networks involving local businesses and young professionals. This model has led to most of the Fellows who have participated being offered permanent positions in the community and some who have actually decided to take positions and live in the community following college.
Program Support The Fellows program has been made possibly by perennial support from Energize Clinton County (ECC) and the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC)—who oversee the program from beginning to end each year. In addition to the administrative and financial support from ECC and the CCRPC, each year the Fellows program receives financial contributions from the foundations, institutions, local businesses, and local citizens in Clinton County. Each year the program sees many businesses that have participated in the past “pay forward” a contribution to the next year’s program. These financial contributions go to pay for the $3,000 stipends that the fellows receive for 10 weeks of work.
Additionally, the Fellows program is assisted by the small business development organizations already active in our region including the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Southern State Community College Enterprise Center and the Wilmington Institute for Stewardship and Engagement (WISE) program at Wilmington College. By having these expert institutions involved, matches that participate in the program are able to receive additional support beyond the Fellows program and are better equipped to express their specific needs.