Iowa Workforce Development Communications For Immediate Release Date: February 1, 2022 Contact: Jesse Dougherty Telephone: 515-725-5487 Email:  communications@iwd.iowa.gov

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Grant Opportunities Now Open for Summer Youth Internship Projects

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds today announced the opening of another round of funding opportunities for employers, nonprofits, educational and community groups seeking to provide high school youth with internship opportunities. 

Now available for the fourth consecutive year, Future Ready Iowa’s Summer Youth Internship Project grants are designed to help youth explore and prepare for high-demand careers while gaining work experience and developing the personal attributes necessary to succeed in the workplace.

A total of $250,000 will be available for programs this summer. Applications must be submitted through www.IowaGrants.gov by March 2, 2022.

Priority for funding will be given to programs that provide internships to high school youth who are at risk of not graduating, from low-income households, from communities under-represented in the Iowa workforce, or who otherwise face barriers to success and upward mobility in the labor market.

“Iowa needs every available worker for our economy to succeed,” said Governor Reynolds. “These Future Ready Iowa Summer Youth Internship programs open doors to students who face barriers or otherwise might not consider work in a particular industry or career. Our state can build a brighter future by helping both young Iowans and employers consider the entire range of what’s possible in our labor force.”

Grant funds may be used for services and resources to support costs of program participants, including for example:  internship wages, training resources, transportation of the participants, clothing, program staff time and indirect costs. Last year, more than 550 students participated in 26 summer internship programs. A total of $1.6 million was awarded in amounts ranging from $5,900 to $246,720.

“Internships programs are a valuable tool for both students and employers,” said Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Internships are the first step in forging a long-term relationship between a student and an employer, as well as in helping students explore occupations they may not otherwise have considered. They provide much needed job experience that will transfer to any job students have in the future.”

For more information, visit www.futurereadyiowa.gov/youth-intern-projects.

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