Changing 1,500 Lives with Summer Internships

On June 30, 1,500 Philadelphia young people began working in local companies for the summer as part of an initiative by Mayor Nutter and the Chamber to create paid workplace opportunities.

The 1,500 internship positions represent nearly a 50 percent increase over last summer when the Chamber identified 1,049 positions. And this is a significant improvement over 2006, when 441 youth were placed

The initiative has been supported by 175 regional businesses, foundations, and non-profit organizations that contributed either paid internship positions or funding for a position. Click here to view the list of participants.

The Chamber supports this initiative because an investment in our young people is a long-term investment in our region’s success. Internships give youth the chance to see what opportunities exist beyond their neighborhoods and to experience the challenges and rewards of working in a professional environment.

The Chamber’s managing partner in identifying internships is WorkReady Philadelphia, which is coordinated by the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) in collaboration with dozens of public and private organizations including Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and the United Way of Southeastern PA. Our corporate partner is Commerce Bank.

Each position costs the employer about $1,600, which includes intern salary and program administration for the six-week program. 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 were pre-screened by PYN and interviewed by the prospective employers.

For more information click here or call 215-790-3732.