Lakota and partners explore internships and co-op pathways with schools and Butler Tech

Lakota officials and neighboring township representatives discussed expanding internship and co-op pathways to connect high-school and technical students with municipal and business placements, using existing models and a coordinated outreach approach.

Speakers noted that Lakota participates in a "work plus" program with Miami University regional campuses and that a county-linked business advisory or "linked up" system already posts internship/co-op opportunities for students. One participant said such postings function like job descriptions that can be quarter-, semester- or year-long and that placements can be paid or unpaid depending on employer parameters.

Attendees urged townships and agencies to identify how many interns each organization could host, and flagged HR and legal issues for minors (hosting people under 18 affects pay and management). The group discussed flexible scheduling for juniors and seniors, potential credit through CCP (College Credit Plus) and the benefits to school report cards from increased internship participation.

Speakers suggested students present outcomes to adult stakeholders as part of the co-op model, and multiple agencies (parks, police, fire, public works, culinary programs) said they have roles that could host interns. The group agreed to share information about existing processes and to have internal teams list potential opportunities and constraints so the program can be coordinated across jurisdictions.

The transcript did not provide firm numbers for slots, wages or an exact start date; participants discussed a potential fall start but left the timetable open pending inventories and HR review.