What Business Can Do

Published February 27, 2007

Local businesses large or small can support the programs described in this special report - and others like them. Here are eight ways to get involved:

HIRE AN INTERN

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, as part of its Working Solutions initiative, has committed to creating 1,000 paid internships for Philadelphia students this summer.
All the logistics - hiring, screening the students, even payroll - will be handled by WorkReady Philadelphia, part of the city's youth-employment agency, the Philadelphia Youth Network. Businesses simply have to fund the positions, which costs about $1,600 per student.
The students will work for four days and have WorkReady training on the fifth. To enroll or learn more, call 215-790-3732 or visit www.greaterphilachamber.com.

DONATE TO AN INTERNSHIP FUND

Don't need an intern, but want to help young people understand the benefits of work? You can donate money to help another local business fund a WorkReady internship position. To learn more, call 215-790-3732 or visit www.greaterphilachamber.com.
BE A MENTOR
Business Mentoring Youth is an unpaid mentoring program that shows 10th graders what work is really like. Students spend two to four hours each week in area businesses, learning valuable lessons about the world of work and interacting with seasoned professionals in a wide variety of companies.
For more information, visit www.philamentor.com.
Or, if you prefer mentoring that isn't strictly work-based, contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. They match young people age 6 to 18 with mentors in professionally supported, one-to-one relationships. Call 215-567-7000 or visit www.bbbsa.org.

SUPPORT WORK- FOCUSED COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Congreso de Latinos Unidos runs a series of programs designed to underscore the importance of work to at-risk kids - and to help older workers find meaningful employment, too.
Congreso's "Training for Success" after-school program requires students to complete a service learning project for school credit, college and career counseling, and employment training - and places students in a part-time job or internship.
Congreso also runs one of the three E3Power Centers managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network that help youth - especially those who have been incarcerated - get back on track.
To volunteer your time or donate to Congreso, call 215-763-8870 or visit www.congreso.net.
To learn about or support other after-school programs - some directly connected to work, others not - visit the After School Activities Partnership at www.phillyasap.org.

MAKE YOUR WORKPLACE ACCESSIBLE TO WILLING WORKERS

If you require online applications, do you have computers nearby to allow workers to fill out online forms while in your office? Are the forms easy for the non-computer literate to complete?
Making simple changes may help applicants - and your business, since you'll be able to accept more applications.

JOIN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS

The Philadelphia Unemployment Project runs an innovative van-pool system that connects urban workers with suburban work sites. The workers drive the minivans and pay a small fee for the ride; the project supplies the van, gas and insurance and organizes pools. Employers simply pay $2,000 per year to offset the cost.
For more information, contact the Philadelphia Unemployment Project at 215-557-0822.

ADVOCATE FOR INTERNSHIP TAX BREAKS

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce plans to back legislation that will help offset the cost of creating employer-paid interships, like those offered by WorkReady, by creating a tax break for participating businesses.
If you'd like to add your voice to that effort, contact Working Solutions at 215-790-3732.

GET INVOLVED IN SCHOOL REFORM

A good way to start is by reading Project U-Turn's essential report on dropouts in Philadelphia public school - and the accompanying report, "Turning it around: A collective effort to understand and resolve Philadelphia's dropout crisis." That report offers a set of recommendations for policymakers and for businesses wanting to work on policies to improve city schools. Visit www.projectuturn.net to read it.
Businesses can become even more involved with the school district and perhaps partner on developing academic programs. Contact Michelle Higinio Armstrong, of the Office of Career and Technical Education, at 215-400-5924.