Pennsylvania Investing More Than $2.8 Million to Expand Summer Internship Programs

HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) – Yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf continued his commitment to providing youth and young adults with the work experience opportunities they need to succeed in college or start their career by announcing more than $2.8 million in funding for local summer internship programs across the Commonwealth.

“These funds will help nearly 600 young adults develop the job skills needed to succeed in today’s 21st-century economy through paid work experiences,” said Governor Wolf. “The State-Local Internship Program provides for summer internships with local employers across Pennsylvania to give participants the real-world work experience and career-readiness skills they need to pursue future employment opportunities.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) provided the funding to 18 Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) across Pennsylvania who submitted proposals for summer internship program participation. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds increase opportunities for youth by either providing participants with their first work experience or helping them establish career pathways as well as develop youth workforce preparation skills including résumé writing, interview skills, financial literacy, diversity training, and entrepreneurial skills training.

The 2018 SLIP will operate for an eight-week period between May 7 and August 31, 2018. The program will offer full-time wages at a minimum of $10.15 an hour for youth between 16 and 24 years of age.

Following is a list of the 18 LWDBs that received SLIP funds:

– Berks County WDB – $94,444
– Bucks County WDB – $177,037
– Chester County WDB – $56,100
– Lackawanna County WDB – $87,472
– Lehigh Valley WDB – $453,997
– Luzerne/Schuylkill WDB – $413,350
– North Central WDB – $199,300
– Northern Tier WDB – $102,100
– Partners4Work WDB – $79,350
– Philadelphia Works, Inc. WDB – $161,799
– Pocono Counties WDB – $178,993
– SCPa Works WDB – $97,700
– Southern Alleghenies WDB – $135,996
– Southwest Corner WDB – $88,000
– Tri-County WDB – $30,000
– West Central WDB – $140,000
– Westmoreland/Fayette WDB – $79,800
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“These funds will allow us to expand opportunities for youth employment with public sector, for-profit, and non-profit employers, and establish exciting career pathways for young adults,” said L&I Secretary Jerry Oleksiak. “Governor Wolf recognizes the importance of expanding job training and career readiness programs that produce a pipeline of highly trained and skilled employees, which is why he has proposed a $50 million investment in workforce development funding with PAsmart.”