Hogan Administration Kicks Off YouthWorks Summer Internship Program

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford was joined today by Maryland State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Lillian Lowery, Department of General Services Secretary Gil Bassette, and Department of Human Resources Secretary (DHR) Sam Malhotra to officially kick off the YouthWorks Summer Internship Program with a welcoming ceremony. Student participants, who started their internships on June 29, will participate in a five-week summer jobs program.

In June, Governor Larry Hogan announced $3.13 million in state funding to provide approximately 8,100 Baltimore City youth residents with summer job opportunities and work experience. Allocated to the Youth Works and Hire One Youth programs through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), funds were provided through a combination of a DHR and DLLR grant administered to Baltimore City for youth job opportunity programs. Funding was already provided in the state budget, and private funding was secured by state and city officials.

“This is a great opportunity to provide our young people with summer jobs and set the foundation for them to become productive members of Maryland’s workforce,” said Lt. Governor Rutherford. “I commend the YouthWorks program, as well as the participating state agencies, for providing our youth with real work environments that will impact their lives for years to come.”

The program, whose slogan is "Summer Jobs Launch Careers," runs until July 31 and gives Baltimore City young people between the ages 14 and 21 opportunities to work with mentors who will help them develop positive work habits and attitudes, as well as learn skills related to and job requirements, career development, and financial literacy. Currently, DGS has 23 YouthWorks interns who have been placed in various divisions within the agency; MSDE has 24 at its Baltimore City headquarters, and DHR has 17.

“We are so excited about having these students at DGS for five weeks,” Secretary Bassette said. “We’re going to make it a worthwhile experience that they can look back on and say it made a positive difference. Maybe five or ten years from now, one of these students will return as a DGS employee.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity not only to expose these teens and young adults to potential career pathways, but also to help them develop the important ‘soft’ skills they’ll need to succeed in the future, such as working in teams, completing assigned projects, and developing a strong work ethic,” said Dr. Lowery.

Secretary Malhotra said of the program, “Summer jobs can launch careers, and that’s what we hope happens here. But more than that, this real-world experience will give each DHR intern an advantage, not only when they interview for jobs or work in a professional environment, but in everyday life as an adult.”