I am pleased that my office is able to help the business leaders of tomorrow cultivate an awareness of exporting today through an important channel: by coordinating with the Illinois Export Council in offering an Illinois Export Development Internship. The program also serves the crucial function of opening new markets for Illinois' small businesses.

With the application deadline for the small business exporting internship being March 1, I look forward to having the program continue to enjoy recognition as one of the most innovative and successful export promotion programs in the country. The reason for that recognition is that the participants get results.

Ever since the initiative was launched, dozens of firms have realized new sales from Illinois international markets. And the companies have been as diverse in their size as they have in their product. Ranging from 10 employees to over 150 workers, these modest-sized enterprises have captured overseas markets for their chemical coatings, railroad components, medical diagnostic instruments, and tool and dies, to cite a few.

The internship aims to match the energy and emerging skills of college and university seniors and graduate level students with the needs of new or existing exporters. Specifically, the program embodies two goals:

• to provide practical learning experiences to quality students; and

• to develop the export capabilities of small and medium-sized firms that may not have the expertise or manpower to enter international markets.

The EDIP benefits not only the business community (in terms of new ideas and extra manpower), but also the interns, who become prepared to enter the international business job market with developed skills in exporting.

As mentioned previously, the EDIP is administered by the Illinois Export Council (a gubernatorial policy body which I am privileged to chair), in tandem with participating colleges and universities.

The Small Business Internship allows selected students to participate in the export activities of existing exporters as well as firms which could be exporting, both competitively and profitably, but are not doing so for various reasons.

What are some of the participants' activities? In past years, they have been involved in producing sales orders, researching new markets and helping to locate overseas offices.

The internships begin in July of 1988 and run for the length of time determined by the small business.

Participants in the EDIP receive stipends from the Illinois Export Council. The rate of compensation is:

• $1,250 per month — undergraduate level

• $1,500 per month — graduate level

The stipend level reflects a full-time (at least 40 hours per week) commitment to the participating small business. For internships of less than 40 hours per week (i.e., part time) stipends are prorated. Any tuition or fees are to be assumed by the intern or participating university.

The Illinois Export Council assesses a monthly fee to small businesses that have secured a student export intern. Those fees, based on a full-time internship, are;

Existing
New-To-Exporting Business*		Exporter
Underclassmen	$420/month	$  840/month
Graduate/Law Student	$500/month	$1000/month
*"New-To-Exporting Business" is defined as a firm which has had export sales of less than $10,000 for the immediate five preceding years.

The exporting internship holds the promise of a fulfilling, educational experience for students and small businesses alike. For more information contact: Office of Lieutenant Governor George Ryan, 100 West Randolph, Suite 15-200, Chicago, Illinois 60601; (312) 917-5220. •

Page 14 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1988