Many businesses or organizations would love to have the help of an additional employee, especially during the summer months when staff members are busier than ever or taking vacations. Non-profit organizations often take advantage of the good weather to schedule special events and every extra hand is helpful. Interns can offer a great opportunity to boost your staff, not only with the extra person but also with fresh ideas and perspectives.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance (PHEAA) offers assistance to college students through their work study grants and this is a win for both employers and students who qualify for the program. One of the incentives to hire work-study students is the hourly-wage subsidy the Work-Study Program provides. Under this program, a student’s wages are partially subsidized, so employers pay between a net 50 and 60 percent of eligible wages and the program subsidizes the remainder. For the students, the State Work-Study Program provides them with career-related work experience and allows students to earn funds to assist in meeting the costs of their postsecondary education.

Perhaps the greatest incentive to local businesses and organizations hiring work-study students is the continued engagement of our up-and-coming workforce, with a realistic chance that you will be meeting a student that will be better qualified to work with you following graduation.

The Venango Chamber has a long history of employing work-study students, many of whom have remained in or returned to Venango County.  Our interns have repeatedly shared that working with us has exposed them to a new view of our county, our assets, and the number of diverse employment opportunities. 

We expect to have a new intern joining the Chamber team and hope you might consider adding a college intern to your team, too.  When you do, please tell us so we can welcome them.

For more information about becoming a work-study employer, visit www.pheaa.org/partner-access/work-study-employers.

(Photos included were taken at the Student Appreciate Luncheon, hosted each August by the FLEX Young Professionals)

This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s May 2018 edition of the VenangoWorks! Newsletter.