Paid Internships for those with Disabilities

A new round of funding will help those with disabilities in Minnesota secure paid internships.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Vocational Rehabilitation Services will pay for internships using part of the $6.3 million it received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The organization will make $1.5 million available to finance as many as 169 paid internships.

"We believe it's an exemplary use of economic stimulus dollars," DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy told the Hutchison Leader. "These internships will be available for virtually any job, with any employer, anywhere in the state, and they offer valuable work experience to Minnesotans whose disabilities might otherwise be viewed as barriers to employment."

Interns will be paid the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, although employers may increase that wage if they wish. Employers will have considerable scheduling flexibility for any interns they hire under the program. The only restrictions are that each intern must work between 10 and 40 hours per week up to a minimum total of 260 hours and a maximum total of 520 hours.

The internship program will operate under an agreement between Vocational Rehabilitation Services and several of Minnesota's Community Rehabilitation Providers, a network of nonprofit organizations that provide services for people with disabilities.

Under the agreement, any current client of Vocational Rehabilitation Services is eligible to participate, but the internship position must match the employment goal on his or her employment plan.

The CRPs will manage the program, provide direct services and handle the payroll. Vocational Rehabilitation Services will reimburse the CRPs for interns' wages, as well as for services such as intake fees, employer taxes, site development and other costs associated with the internship program.