labor
$5 million state fund would back youth summer jobs in West Virginia
The Commerce Department could use grants, donations and legislative money to support wages, transportation, equipment and training. Employers would have to contribute too, with smaller groups able to seek waivers or reductions.
West Virginia’s proposal builds a special account for a youth summer employment and career-readiness program. It would support paid work, apprenticeships and internships, while targeting help toward teens in foster care, on public assistance or involved with juvenile justice.
- The proposal would create the West Virginia Youth Summer Employment and Career Readiness Program.
- It would serve young people ages fourteen to twenty.
- The program would combine paid work with career exploration and work-based learning.
- Youth in foster care, families receiving public assistance, and justice-involved youth would get extra outreach and support.
- Employers would share costs, and the program could use grants, donations, and appropriations.
A proposal in West Virginia would create the West Virginia Youth Summer Employment and Career Readiness Program, a statewide effort for young people ages fourteen to twenty. The idea is to connect paid summer work with job training and career exploration, so students can build skills while getting a first look at the labor market.
Paid work tied to real-world skills
The program would be housed in the Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Development. It would offer paid summer employment, structured work-based learning, and career exploration opportunities that line up with the state’s workforce needs.
The work could include apprenticeships, internships, and paid placements in areas identified as important for job growth. The bill also says the program should expose participants to public service, entrepreneurship, self-employment, and small business development.
Who it would try to reach
The proposal would be open to eligible youth across the state, but it gives extra attention to young people who often have a harder time getting started in work. That includes youth in foster care or formerly in foster care, young people whose families receive public assistance, and youth involved with the juvenile justice system.
The bill also calls for added outreach, training support, and placement strategies for those groups. In plain terms, it is meant to do more than offer a job posting. It would try to help young people who may need help finding a placement and staying on track once they get one.
How employers and funding would work
Under the proposal, public and private employer partners would help provide paid placements. They would also contribute toward wages, supervision, training, or related costs, with the department setting matching requirements through rulemaking.
Program money could go toward wage subsidies, payroll costs, training, transportation, equipment, supportive services, and some administrative expenses. The bill says participants would have to be paid at least the applicable minimum wage, and the program could not replace existing workers or cut their hours or pay.
Funding could come from private and public grants, donations, and legislative appropriations. Those dollars would go into a special account in the State Treasury. The department would also have to report annually on participant outcomes, spending, and matching contributions.