In collaboration with the City of Boston, the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) works with more than 85 community-based organizations (CBOs) and public agencies to provide Boston Public Schools (BPS) high school students with subsidized jobs and internships. These experiences are the community-based component of the PIC’s overall summer jobs effort.
Paid work experiences in the community offer interns the opportunity to build professional skills and earn additional income for their families in environments familiar to them throughout the city. They also serve as a stepping stone for students interested in competing for private sector internships the following summer.
CBO Partners
The PIC leverages its long-established relationships with the following types of organizations to provide meaningful work and quality supervision for students:
- Community Centers
- Boys & Girls Clubs
- YMCAs
- BPS school offices, facilities, and administrative offices
- Other grassroots organizations
Job Variety
In a typical summer, students work as office assistants, childcare assistants, camp counselors, peer leaders, recreation assistants, data entry clerks, web designers, and other jobs to support the CBO’s work and services to neighborhood residents. The PIC seeks to collaborate with CBOs that offer creative programming and career exploration activities, including programs that focus on technology and other STEM fields.
Funding Support
The state’s YouthWorks program subsidizes the wages for the majority of these CBO jobs through the Commonwealth Corporation. The PIC’s private-sector partners, such as Bank of America, Liberty Mutual, and JP Morgan Chase, also provide funding for student wages through their foundations as part of their commitment to the city and its youth.