Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Wages topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Witnesses press for higher pay for youth internships; committee weighs budget constraints
Summary
Community witnesses and program directors argued internships and skill-building placements should pay closer to DC minimum wage rather than current sub‑minimum summer pay; councilmembers acknowledged funding constraints but signaled interest in exploring school‑year internships and phased approaches.
Program directors and student witnesses told the committee that many youth work experiences in the district pay far less than the cost of living and that insufficient pay discourages participation in skill-building internships.
"Currently, many of these students are earning as little as $9.50 per hour, far below DC's minimum wage of $17.95," college student Andre Galowitz said, and John Capozzi, director of recruiting and retention for OnRamps2Careers, noted his program hosted over 300 interns last summer and expects over 350 this coming summer. Witnesses argued that internships that provide real skills and contribute to organizations should be compensated at least at the district minimum wage to improve retention and equity.
Committee members acknowledged the budgetary limits and discussed options such as emphasizing school‑year internships that bridge to summer programs, tiered pay approaches, and employer vetting. No changes were adopted at the hearing; councilmembers asked to stay engaged with program providers to explore feasible financing strategies.
