Pennsylvania celebrates success of MY Work program
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is celebrating 10 years of its MY Work program, which provides students with disabilities with paid summer employment through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
What was once 50 students in McKeesport City Hall a decade ago is now a statewide program with more than 2,600 students who have participated in all 67 counties.
"It became a prototype for successful programs across the state," state Secretary of Labor and Industry Nancy Walker said. "What makes these programs so exceptional is that for many students, this is the very first paid experience they have."
The anniversary celebration was held at Renziehausen Park in McKeesport, where Mayor Tom Maglicco and other state officials were gathered.
For the first time in the program's history, more than one thousand students will join the program this summer. McKeesport has three work locations of its own — including City Hall — and Walker said there have been discussions for a potential fourth site.
"It stands out from the rest of my jobs I've had before," said 18-year-old Noah Harrison, a student in the program who recently graduated from McKeesport High School. "It shows my skills that I have, great leadership and a good personality."
Harrison has been working inside City Hall, cleaning the building, and said he takes pride in his work and appreciates his relationship with the mayor.
"You should do it," Harrison said to any students interested in joining the program. "You will have fun. You will make a lot of friends, and you just have to be yourself."
"We know, for young people with disabilities, having that first paid work experience while they're in high school makes them four times more likely to be employed when they graduate," said Walker. "This is a wonderful program."
