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• A joint venture between the city of Phoenix and Valley high school districts
• Provides employment opportunities in city government for junior and senior level high school students

What is the Student Work Study Program?
Who can participate?
What are the benefits?
How does it work?

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What is the Student Work Study Program?

The city of Phoenix Student Work Study Program (SWSP) is a joint venture between the city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Union High School District, Paradise Valley Unified High School District, Glendale Union High School District and Scottsdale Unified School District. The program provides employment opportunities in city government for junior and senior high school students residing in the city of Phoenix.

The program started in 1984 as a result of a need identified at the 1983 Youth Town Hall for expanded employment opportunities for youth. Since that time, the program has provided up to 40 students per year with a meaningful work experience in city departments. The program is designed to encourage and provide job exposure to students who express an interest in working in the public sector. The emphasis of the program is on career and personal development, training, academic achievement and financial compensation. The program also showcases the variety and quality of work available in city government.

Who can participate?

Students who have expressed an interest in public sector employment and who meet the following criteria:

must be and remain in school to participate be at the junior or senior level in high school maintain a 2.5 GPA or better in a four point system be selected through a competitive interview process a Phoenix resident

Note: Efforts will be made to include "at risk" or economically disadvantaged students.

What are the benefits?

The city of Phoenix and the various high school districts have established the following benefits:

• class credits are to be determined by the respective high school districts
• student will receive a wage of $7 per hour
• students are considered temporary city employees and are eligible to apply for city employment
• city will provide the following fringe benefits: social security and medicare contributions, industrial insurance and unemployment insurance coverage

How does it work?

Students are selected for an internship from high schools throughout Phoenix. Referrals are made through high school liaisons who also recruit, assess and refer the students during their participation.

The students selected work a minimum of 10 hours per week in a meaningful job assignment relevant to their academic pursuits. More hours may be negotiated based on student status and funding availability.

The program is designed to encourage students to complete school by assisting them in acquiring additional/needed school credits and providing some financial assistance.

Some rotation on the job may be allowed to expose the student to other job-related activities or assignments. Based on identified needs within the department, an optional second year may be available.

Monthly training sessions are held in conjunction with various agencies to reinforce their academic and occupational training, motivate their efforts to stay in school and to encourage their future involvement in public sector employment.

These sessions are mandatory, in lieu of work and are used to:

• provide motivation
• provide group counseling (If one-on-one counseling is needed, a referral is made to the program coordinator)
• promote personal and career development
• discuss current issues pertinent to teenagers
• assist young people in making the transition from entry level to more advanced assignments

The city's Human Services Department Youth Services Division is responsible for program planning, setting guidelines and policies, supervisor orientation, participant training, allocation of funds, monitoring work sites and overall program administration and evaluation.

The high school districts are responsible for student recruitment, initial assessment, providing academic class credit and for monitoring student performance.

For more information, contact: Youth Services Division, Student Work Study Program 200 W. Washington St., 18th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003-1611; 602-534-0964.

Special accommodations/alternate formats are available upon request. Call 602-534-6806/voice or 602-534-5500/TTY.