If you own a small business in the Columbia Basin, you can get financial help to hire a student over the summer by applying for a wage subsidy from Columbia Basin Trust’s Summer Works Program.
To help businesses offer full-time summer jobs to high school and post-secondary students, the program provides a $7 wage subsidy for entry-level jobs and an $8 wage subsidy for career-related jobs. Since 2010, Summer Works has helped create up to 150 student jobs each summer in the Basin.
“We are really pleased with the success and continued growth of the Summer Works Program—it’s been positive for everyone involved,” Lisa Kilpatrick, the CBT’s senior manager of the Delivery of Benefits program, said in a statement released on Friday, February 13. “Business get the help of an extra staff person and the students are able to stay close to home to gain valuable work experience during summer months.”
People’s Pharmacy in Nakusp was one of the businesses that benefited from the program last year.
“It is a great program for us,” owner Troy Clark said in the statement. “It allowed us to support a local student working toward his degree and gave him workplace experience and training needed for his career as a pharmacist.”
Summer Works student Taylor Reitmeier called it “the perfect opportunity to learn.”
“Everything I see and do here will relate to my career as a pharmacist,” he said. “Now that I’m further along in my degree, I am able to take on more responsibility and practice the skills I’ve learned. I can’t say enough about how lucky I am to be able to benefit from this program. It has played a large role in getting me to where I am today.”
The program is administered by the College of the Rockies.
“Our coordinator Wendie Cameron works very closely with businesses throughout the region who do not have the financial resources to hire students without the program’s support,” said the college’s continuing education manager, Tracey Whiting.
Application forms are available starting February 19, 2015; because the program is popular, the CBT encourages interested businesses to apply as soon as possible. Learn more about the program at cbt.org/summerworks2015, e-mail summerworks@cbt.org or call 1-877-489-2687, ext. 3644.
Columbia Basin Trust supports efforts to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin. To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, visit cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.
