Workforce Innovations: NOVA Service: Youth Work Experience Program

	Does your business have peak periods during the year when you could use (but can't afford) additional staff?
	Hiring an intern is a cost-effective strategy for meeting immediate personnel needs.

	Are you planning a special event or business project?
	Interns can assist on special projects, plan and participate in special events, and design or assist with Web site development.

	Would you like to help out your local community?
	Again – the answer is interns! Give youth valuable work experience, build their self-esteem, and support their educational/career goals.

NOVA's Youth Employment Office has provided interns to area businesses and organizations for more than 10 years through the federal Workforce Investment Act's Work Experience Program, which serves economically disadvantaged youth aged 14 to 21. In the past year NOVA has placed approximately 100 youth in internships throughout northern Santa Clara County.

The Work Experience Program operates year-round but is busiest during the summer when youth have more time to work. Summer internships operate differently from those held during the school year. During the summer interns work Monday through Thursday and attend employment workshops at NOVA on Friday. The workshops provide important information on job applications, the interviewing process, résumés, and successful job retention. For the rest of the year, workdays are at the employer's discretion. Child labor laws apply for youth under 18 years old.

Benefits to Businesses

For minimal investment, companies can reap a number of rewards and provide an invaluable service to the local community.

NOVA pays the interns an hourly wage and provides worker compensation coverage. The federal funding enables NOVA to compensate interns for up to eight weeks (approximately 500 hours) of work experience.

Interns help out during a busy period or when a business is short-staffed.

All youth are pre-screened by NOVA youth advisors. Each internship is individualized to provide the best match for the youth and the employer.

The internship can be year-round or summer only. It can be part time or full time. The duration of the internship is determined by the business or organization.

Businesses can advertise their open internship positions on NOVA's online job site for youth, Youth@Work , a convenient, no-cost service that helps businesses meet staffing needs by employing youth who are eager and ready for work.

NOVA Youth Employment Office staff promote internship opportunities through their contacts at local high schools and at youth hiring fairs.

Internship opportunities are an investment in your future workforce, helping to create better-prepared workers.

Participating Businesses

Just some of the many businesses and organizations that have participated in NOVA's internship program include:

Town Center Pizza (link to interview)
Veterans Affairs Hospital
Inns of America
Realty World Results Pros
Orchard Supply Hardware
Santa Clara County Parks Department
City of Sunnyvale Library
Northwest YMCA
Santa Clara Unified School District

Glowing Reviews

Because each intern is carefully screened and evaluated NOVA's Work Experience Program has received rave reviews.

From the Northwest YMCA: "At first I was hesitant, because some volunteers do not take their volunteer experience seriously, but our NOVA intern worked just as hard as my regular staff."

From the Community School of Music and Arts: "Interns prepared art materials for teachers, organized classrooms, worked one-on-one with students, and supervised students during breaks. The interns were indispensable in assisting teachers in the classroom to make the learning experience fun, creative, and manageable."

From the Santa Clara Unified School District: "We were in the process of going 'paperless' and having extra help to scan files enabled us to speed up the process."

From the Santa Clara County Parks Department (Stevens Creek Park): "This is a good program, it gives kids the opportunity to actually try jobs that they are interested in and possibly make decisions for their future. It gives them a chance."

Benefits for Youth

For youth, the benefits of an internship are immediate and long lasting.

Opportunity to explore various careers and to define educational and career goals.
Chance to prove oneself as a reliable, trustworthy employee.
Learn valuable work-related skills.
Use internship as a springboard to paid, unsubsidized employment.
Discover mentors who provide leadership, advice.
Paid work experience for youth who have never worked before or have limited work experience
Job opportunities for younger youth (14-15) who often have difficulty finding jobs.

For more information on how you can participate in this mutually beneficial program, contact the NOVA Youth Employment Office at (408) 522-9845. To list an internship opportunity or a paid job position on NOVA's no-cost job-posting site for youth, please visit Youth@Work .

NOVA Work Experience Program