Martin County OKs funding for internships

FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners heard from Vicki Paskey of Minnesota Valley Action Council who asked them to consider an annual summer youth internship administrative agreement.

The program between Martin County and MVAC provides summer work experience for youth living in Martin County. Cost to the county is $50,000.

The board approved the agreement, effective March 1 through Sept. 30, with compensation for workers set at $10.50 per hour.

Paskey, along with MVAC community services director Nancy Haag, thanked the board for its continued funding.

“We’re moving into our seventh year with this program,” she said. “We are making some updates to our websites and applications, some of those being that we wanted to have the interns more involved as far as selecting their internship sites and where they would like to work. We match them to the very best match for their college major so they wind up getting credit for their internship.”

Paskey said that through last year’s program, 10 of 17 interns received college credit for their internship.

Haag noted there are limits for the interns of 29 hours per week, due to the Affordable Care Act.

Paskey noted that pay rates for interns have been up for discussion, as MVAC has received suggestions from outside businesses to go up to $12 or $14 per hour, up from $10 per hour in 2017.

Continue to full article.