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Harrisburg launches DBE mentoring, HOPE internship and apprenticeship steps to boost business readiness and youth pipelines
Summary
The city's interim equity and compliance chief detailed active programs: a DBE mentoring and resource network, a HOPE internship pipeline launching January 2026, and city registration as an apprenticeship sponsor for a GROW program. Council members pressed for participation targets, funding lines and public metrics.
Dina Jandari, Harrisburg’s interim chief equity and compliance officer, outlined new and active programs she said will expand access to contracting, finance and workforce pipelines across the city.
Jandari described a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Mentoring Information and Resource Network that meets twice monthly in the council chamber to guide businesses through certification, vendor registration and contracting; she told council the first session attracted 23 participants. She also said the HOPE internship program (Harrisburg Opportunities for Professional Experience) is planned to launch in January 2026 and will place paid interns — high‑school juniors and seniors and college students — in city departments and partner organizations. The city has also registered as a sponsor for apprenticeship pathways under the GROW (Guided Readiness and Opportunity for Workforce) initiative, a step Jandari said will enable paid on‑the‑job training and industry-recognized credentials.
Jandari said the mentoring and HOPE programs are powered by partnerships with Members First (Federal Credit Union), MedPenn Bank, Wells Fargo and M&T Bank, and that the mentoring series has featured sessions on cybersecurity and financial readiness. She said the city has also created internal continuity and dashboard documents to track participation and outcomes.
Council response: members welcomed the initiatives but sought specifics. Questions included how many interns are expected, whether the HOPE stipend is budgeted, how the HOPE and mayoral internships will be coordinated, and what evaluation metrics will measure program success. Jandari said the stipend line for two mayoral interns is in the business administrator’s budget (the business administrator indicated a proposed $8,000 appropriation for two interns) and pledged to deliver written program materials, timelines and performance metrics to the council.
Why it matters: the programs are presented as tools to increase contractor readiness, reduce barriers for minority-owned businesses, and create city pipelines to public-sector jobs. Council members stressed the need for public transparency in program evaluation and advised coordination among the mayor’s office, the business administrator and the grants bureau.
Next steps: Jandari and staff will supply the council with program documents, participant goals and dashboard metrics ahead of the next meeting so council can evaluate appropriations and oversight needs.
