Program staff and an intern described a paid youth internship created to fit the Utah Department of Workforce Services internship program and said it gives hands-on experience that can lead to employment and help students balance school with work.

Program staff said the internship targets youth and combines on-the-job work in the concrete industry with coaching and leadership development. "It benefits the intern as it provides paid experience and may lead to a permanent job or provide experience that they can put on their resume to lead to another opportunity," Program staff said.

Another Program staff member described tailoring the placement to match what the Department of Workforce Services' youth internship offers. "For a connection, we really develop a program that kinda takes interns, kinda shows them really what our side of the industry does with concrete. So we built a special internship just for the Department of Workforce Services internship program, that would fit what, the internship or the youth internship opportunity offers," the staff member said. The same speaker said the application process is concise: "We interview them and then, we get them going. It usually only takes about 2 weeks, real simple."

Jesus Hernandez, identified in the transcript as an intern, said the experience has helped him combine school and work. "My name is Jesus Hernandez, and right now I'm working with the Patrice. What I've learned is, like, how to work and go to school at the same time, and having, like, some great opportunities," Hernandez said. He added that the program gave him more opportunities while he was both working and in school.

Program staff said the youth program serves participants ages 14 to 24 and focuses on coaching, mentoring and leadership development. Staff characterized the referral pathway as straightforward, saying they direct qualifying jobseekers to the Department of Workforce Services partnership and begin placement after interviews.

Speakers recommended that interested young people contact Workforce Services to learn about eligibility and openings; no formal votes or policy decisions on the program were recorded in the transcript.