County, City, Partner4Work announce application period for Learn & Earn 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PITTSBURGH (April 10, 2017) – Applications for summer jobs offered through the Learn & Earn program are being accepted today through May 20.

This year, Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, and Partner4Work will place nearly 2,000 young people, ages 14 to 21, with summer jobs and personal development opportunities, while also assisting the long-term growth of Pittsburgh-area employers.

The application period opens at 4 p.m. Monday, April 10, and ends at 11 p.m. Saturday, May 20. The work period begins on June 26 and runs through August 4, 2017. Interested youth may complete the online application at www.jobs4summer.org, or may also visit in-person application sites listed below for extra support in completing the application. An interactive map of the support sites is available at jobs4summer.org. In addition, Learn & Earn staff will offer onsite applications and information during the Summer 17 Kickoff Event planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Market Square, Downtown. Parents or young people are invited to stop by.

“We’re extremely proud to be able to continue this program which is an investment in our youth, and our future workforce,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Through these jobs, our youth get the skills they need to enter the workforce and can gain experience in problem-solving, critical thinking and other life-skills training. Through the Learn & Earn program, our youth will be to be able to benefit from the growth and opportunities that are available here in our region.”

The county and city first partnered with Partner4Work in 2015 to launch the program after more than 1,300 young people applied for jobs in Pittsburgh’s Summer Youth Employment program in 2014, even though only 500 positions were available. Learn & Earn has expanded the pool of job applicants, using help from area corporations and foundations to help fund jobs for local youth, and to expand their opportunities for career development.

In 2016, Learn & Earn served nearly 2,000 income-eligible youth, 96 percent of whom completed the program. These young workers earned an average of $933 each during the 6-week program, or a combined total of $1.6 million in wages. Participating youth worked as many as 150 hours each and received soft skills and other work-readiness training during the program.

“Summer jobs not only provide spending money, but introduce young people to possible careers in the Pittsburgh area’s growing economy. The ‘Summer of Learn and Earn’ is a great example of how government and our business and foundation partners are working together to give our region’s youth opportunities to build their resumes and prepare life after school is over,” Mayor William Peduto said.

Learn & Earn opportunities are focused in 11 career tracks based on the growing or trending occupations in the Pittsburgh area. These tracks include health care, education, science and technology, entrepreneurship, government and community services, labor and trades, and others. Previous interns have planted urban gardens, organized summer camp activities, produced documentaries, performed office work and more. More than 350 businesses and non-profits participated in the program in 2016.

“Learn & Earn is a major step forward in building a pipeline of talent prepared to enter the workforce,” said Stefani Pashman, CEO, Partner4Work. “By connecting young people to the job opportunities available in this region — showing them the breadth of opportunity available in their own communities — we establish the relationship between education and economic success and set them on the path to a bright future.”

Concurrent to intern recruitment, efforts continue to identify and onboard corporate partners for 2017. Learn & Earn staff prescreens all participants, arranges interviews, provides ongoing support, and processes all paperwork and payroll. Interns are matched with businesses based on experience level, skill, and interest. Businesses interested in participating should contact Partner4Work directly for more information.

For a list of application support sites, with directions, phone numbers and hours, visit: Learn & Earn, Where to go for help.

CONTACT: Jennifer Pajewski, jpajewski@partner4work.org, (412) 552-7090.