Pa. students with disabilities earn summer paychecks through My Work program

Pennsylvania high school students with disabilities are earning a paycheck this summer through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry‘s My Work Summer Employment Program. 

 MY Work provides paid work experiences to high school students with disabilities through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, boosting job skills and workforce readiness.

More than 1,000 students are participating at more than 250 MY Work sites in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. 

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy Walker met with a group of high school students with disabilities working this summer as part of L&I’s MY Work program. 

“Watching these students take pride in their work and the impact they’re making in Marysville is a powerful reminder of what happens when we invest in opportunity,” Walker said in a statement. “Through MY Work, these young people aren’t just earning a paycheck – they’re gaining confidence, strengthening their communities, and discovering what’s possible for their futures.

“That’s why Governor Shapiro is committed to investing in programs like MY Work, so more Pennsylvanians with disabilities have the opportunity to succeed in the workforce and beyond.” 

My Work was created by L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and connects students across Pennsylvania with meaningful, paid work opportunities right in their own communities. According to a release, students with disabilities who have paid work experience before graduation are four times more likely to become employed in the competitive workforce upon graduation. 

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 budget calls for an additional $1 million investment for OVR. 

The students working for Marysville Borough this summer are spending eight weeks building job skills while making a visible difference in their community. Their work includes cleaning concession stands at five ball fields, landscaping public spaces, painting over graffiti, and refreshing an overlook along the Susquehanna River. 

Their efforts are part of a milestone year for MY Work, per the release. For the first time, more than 1,000 students are participating at more than 250 MY Work sites in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. 

OVR started the MY Work program in 2016 in Allegheny County with just 50 students in its first year. In 2021, the program was expanded statewide, and since then has connected more than 2,600 high school students across Pennsylvania with paid summer employment opportunities. Wages are covered by OVR at no cost to municipalities.  

OVR works with over 76,000 students and adults with disabilities across all programs each year. Last year, nearly 18,000 students with disabilities received Pre-Employment Transition Services, including paid work-based learning experiences like MY Work, and OVR placed more than 6,400 individuals into integrated employment.