Iowa Workforce Development Communications
For Immediate Release
Date: April15, 2025
Contact: Jesse Dougherty
Telephone: 515-725-5487
Email: communications@iwd.iowa.gov
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Iowa Announces New Grant Awards to Boost Youth Internships This Summer
Employers receiving grants will provide meaningful work experiences in high-demand fields.
DES MOINES, IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds today announced new grant awards that will help expand the number of Iowa’s youth participating in internships this summer.
A total of five employers are being awarded $254,000 in grants to help support over 100 youth participating in summer internships in high-demand areas of the workforce. Iowa’s Summer Youth Internship Program grants help Iowa’s youth gain access to meaningful work experiences while they explore and discover promising careers in the state.
View a list of 2025’s Summer Youth Internship Grant awardees here.
“The great benefit of summer internships is not only the work experience they create for our youth, but ultimately the skills and connections gained that make it more likely that they will stay and develop a long-term career in our state,” said Governor Reynolds. “I applaud the employers who are sponsoring these programs and finding ways to build their workforce using the talent found in our youth.”
Projects providing opportunities for Iowa youth who face barriers to upward mobility in the labor market were prioritized during the review process. Grant funds are able to be used for participant wages, compensation after program completion, training resources, program supplies and materials, and administrative costs.
“Any time that Iowa employers are able to sponsor meaningful programs that provide on-the-job experience, a positive outcome usually follows that benefits our workforce,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “I’m excited to help give a boost to these projects, which will help employers have extra talent this summer and help our youth see firsthand the great opportunities that await them across Iowa.”
For more information on the grant, visit: Summer Youth Internship Program.
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