The Workport@PLC is a coordinated effort by the Philadelphia Learning Collaborative (PLC) and its member high schools to match interested and qualified students with employer internships that expose them to careers, provide opportunities to master workplace skills, and help them to understand the connections between success in school and work.

Research shows us what we know intuitively to be true: workplace experiences have the power to help students perform better academically, get better jobs and earn more money, and avoid risky behaviors. We also know that these experiences are powerful for employers, bringing new energy, diversity, and excitement to their workplaces. But research also documents that students in urban centers have much less access to these life-changing opportunities than their more affluent, suburban peers. The Workport@PLC is specifically designed to reverse that trend by expanding opportunities for deserving young people while at the same time creating multiple benefits for partnering companies.

The following Philadelphia high schools are currently participating in the Workport@PLC:

• Building 21

• El Centro

• Science Leadership Academy–Beeber

• Science Leadership Academy–Center City

• String Theory Schools

• Vaux Big Picture High School

• The Workshop School

It’s simple and straightforward. The Workport@PLC provides:

• extensive consultation with interested employers to develop and support internship opportunities 

• accessible platforms for employers to list internships available to students in multiple high schools 

• a centralized, searchable internship database by type and category enabling schools to match qualified students with positions of interest

• strategies to promote efficient student screening and interviewing by employers

• strong, on-demand support for employers and interns on-the-job

• clear standards for workplace experiences combined with data collection and evaluation to ensure effectiveness and continually improve the system

• reduced requests for employer support from multiple schools

Participating in the Workport @PLC can produce benefits for employer partners, by:

↗ ENERGIZING WORKPLACES — Interns bring a fresh perspective and eagerness to learn. They also provide an opportunity for your employees to develop supervisory skills and experience the rewards of mentoring.

↗ STRENGTHENING TECH AND MEDIA EXPERTISE, & ACCESSING NEW MARKETS — High school students are digital natives who get social media. Everyday interactions can easily become ad hoc tech support or informal focus groups.

↗ PROMOTING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY AND SOURCING NEW TALENT — Research shows that better decisions are made when there’s a variety of perspectives in the mix, which, in turn, can produce improved outcomes for employers.

↗ SOURCING NEW TALENT AND ACCESSING NEW MARKETS — Hosting interns also affords employers opportunities to identify, nurture, and train potential employers, while also learning how to communicate with and market to young consumers.

↗ PUBLICLY RECOGNIZING EMPLOYER PARTNERS AS COMMUNITY BUILDERS — We will give you all the credit you deserve for giving back to the community, including your company’s name or logo in press releases and local media ads.

Fill out the Workport interest form or email us at office@phlcollab.org.