Registration Opens Today for Opportunity Summer 2023 Internship Program

Registration Opens Today for Opportunity Summer 2023 Internship Program
Cook County supported program connects suburban Cook County young adults with 6-week, paid career-pathway internships 

(CHICAGO)— The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) and Cook County are proud to announce that registration is open for Opportunity Summer 2023, a seven-week paid career-pathway internship program for out of work or out of school youth in suburban Cook County. The program offers young adults ages 16-24 internships in high-demand, high-growth sectors such as Information Technology (IT); Manufacturing; Healthcare; Construction; Hospitality; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.  Interns are engaged in activities 20-25 hours per week and earn $15 per hour.  Opportunity Summer internships run from June 5 to August 18, 2023.

Registration opens today here: https://chicookworks.org/initiatives/opportunityworks/. Registration closes on July 1.

“I wanted the work experience but getting paid was the cherry on top,” said Jair L., a 2022 Opportunity Summer intern who now has a full-time position in IT after his internship at a local educational institution.  Fellow IT intern Jamal B., who was also offered a full-time position after his internship said, “The program gave all of us opportunities to figure out what we wanted to do.”

Employers for the 2023 summer session include: First Hospitality (Hotel Hampton Inn), Pete’s Fresh Market, Rich Township Pantry of Richton Park, Walgreens, and American Family Insurance in the Hospitality sector; College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving (movers/warehouse), and the municipality of Sauk Village in the Logistics sector; Prairie State College in the IT sector; INX International Ink Company, Keats Manufacturing, Precision Metal Stamping, and Wheeling Apparel Redefined in the Manufacturing sector.

“It was a wonderful experience to work with the interns. I got to teach them a lot, and it was good to mentor them. This internship program was one of the best things that could happen,” said Arnie Brown, Assistant Superintendent, Streets and Sanitation Department, Village of Bellwood.

The program funds the interns’ wages, allowing employers to provide paid internships at no cost while connecting interns to career-pathway opportunities. Employers interesting in hiring an Opportunity Summer intern can reach out to https://chicookworks.org/initiatives/opportunityworks/ and click the “Employers” tab.

“It is so important that young adults know they can find their own path and find success in a way that aligns with their interests, skills and abilities,” said Patrick Combs, Partnership Interim CEO. “The beaty of this program is that gives young adults who are not engaged in work or school real-world career experience and helps employers tap into a young, talented workforce. It really is a win-win program.”

“I’m grateful to The Partnership and private funders for their collaboration with Cook County to create Opportunity Works and Opportunity Summer,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “We knew it was critical to design a training program for youth and young adults who are not in school and not connected to employment in suburban Cook County. This program aims to connect these young people with businesses in high-growth sectors, and has now graduated approximately 1,400 interns. We look forward to its continued success.”

Opportunity Summer and Opportunity Works are part of Cook County’s Career Connector program. These programs are funded through a $15 million investment from the County into workforce development services provided by the Partnership, using dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The programs also serve suburban Cook County residents and businesses who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2022, the county’s ARPA funding allowed the Partnership to double the number of participants served, bringing the total to 400 interns.

Internships are a proven way for young adults to explore career options while earning money and for businesses to identify talented and ambitious young professionals who might have a future in their industry sector. The Partnership collaborates with Chicagoland-area businesses and organizations to provide summer and year-round support for young adults interested in building their careers.