High School Tech Internship Business Spotlight: Holzer Health System
Written By: Kaitlin Streator, BB2C Communications and Engagement Coordinator
If you live in Southeast Ohio, chances are you’ve visited a Holzer Health clinic, been to one of their hospitals, or know someone who works there. With more than 30 facilities across the region, Holzer is a cornerstone of the local community and economy. But keeping a healthcare network of that size running smoothly requires more than just doctors and nurses—it takes a dedicated Information Technology (IT) team. And thanks to BB2C’s High School Tech Internship (HSTI) program, high schoolers are playing a role in ensuring the continued success of Holzer’s IT department.
“For the past three years, we’ve had two [interns], and we’ve enjoyed having them on our team so much that we decided to take on an extra one this year,” Austin Willoughby, Director of IT Applications for Holzer, said.
The three Holzer HSTI Interns this year are Jennings, Luke, and Christian.
Willoughby said the IT department supports everything from the health systems' Electronic Medical Record (EMR), systems, to the radiology and lab systems, networking and infrastructure, and desktop-level support for all employees- and the three high school interns have been working in all of those departments.
"We've been having them try to do a lot of various duties within the department just to kind of spread the experience around,” Willoughby said.
"They've done a lot of shadowing with our IT help desk and field techs—going out to our different branches, helping to fix computers on site, and helping to fix computers remotely. They've also been working on some specialized projects in our information security department, such as identifying vulnerable workstations that need updates and patches. They have to be ready to shift gears at any given time... they've been really great at it, and they've adapted well."
Willoughby said he and his team see the High School Tech Internship program as a pipeline for future talent, if not at Holzer, at some other local business within the Southeast Ohio region.
"All of the interns that have participated in the program have been locally raised from our high schools in the area... Definitely think there's a lot of hometown pride in staying here and supporting your community, Willoughby said.
"They learn the value of a dollar and valuable experience. If they decide to pursue an IT degree in college, they'll already have a head start on a lot of their peers, having real-world experience. It's really beneficial just to have young adults that have a passion for this field, want to learn, and are curious."
The HSTI program reimburses Ohio employers for hosting high school interns in technology-focused roles, and the goal to provide businesses with the tech talent they need while also providing students with valuable work experience at an early age. Interns will be expected to perform job duties similar to what is expected of an entry-level employee in technology roles that focus on artificial intelligence, software development, data, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, broadband/5G, and other in-demand technology-focused roles. To learn more about the HSTI program, visit bb2careers.org/internships.
"I would definitely recommend an internship program like this,” Wagner said. “Even if you don't know what you want to do, it never hurts to try. Emotional awareness is so important, and you might just find something you love."