Business Community Steps up to Provide 1,000 paid internships for Philadelphia Youth
One thousand Philadelphia young people are getting paid to work at local companies this summer as part of an initiative of the Chamber, Mayor Michael Nutter, and WorkReady Philadelphia to identify paid workplace opportunities.
This is the third consecutive year the Chamber has encouraged regional employers to offer paid internships for youth. This summer, 120 regional businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations contributed either paid internship positions or funding for a position. Despite the troubled economy, 96 companies are returning participants from last year, which represents 80% retention. The six-week internship program is part of the WorkReady Philadelphia system of programs managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) which is serving a total of 8,800 youth this year through this and other programs.
The Chamber has helped to identify more than 3,500 positions over the past three summers.
The benefits of this program are two-fold. Interns help employers grow their businesses by boosting summer productivity and completing important short-term projects. And internships represent a long-term investment in our region’s success because they give young people the tools to become capable future employees.
Thank you to the regional businesses, foundations, and non-profit organizations that have committed to either providing or funding positions.
WorkReady Philadelphia is managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network in collaboration with dozens of public and private organizations. The key employment recruitment partners joining the Chamber are the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and the United Way of Southeastern PA. Our corporate partner is TD Bank.
Click here to learn more about our partners and sponsors.
Each position costs the employer about $1,600, which includes intern salary and program administration. The six-week program began July 6. Interns work at least 20 hours per week Monday through Thursday and attend professional development programs offsite on Fridays.
Internships are open to Philadelphia students who will enter 11th grade or higher in the fall. All students are pre-screened by PYN and interviewed by the prospective employers.
Click here to view the 2009 summer internships brochure.
Summer internships in the news.
For more information on supporting or providing an internship, call 215-790-3732 or click here.
For youth to receive more information, call WorkReady Philadelphia at 267-502-3742.
“My internship…has greatly prepared me for not only the workplace but the rest of my life. I now see the hard work and desire needed to succeed in the competitive workplace of today. I also know that this work ethic that I have learned will follow me as I prepare to enter Drexel University in the fall.”
-John Karvel, 2008 summer intern, Friendly Mortgage