(The Center Square) – Summer work has begun for students throughout the commonwealth who are participating in the Department of Labor and Industry’s MY Work program.

The program is an initiative of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation offered to high school students with disabilities.

Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy Walker joined students in Lycoming County Monday for their first day on the job at Rider Park, an 867 acre nature preserve offering activities and environmental education to the community.

“It brings me such joy to visit MY Work locations each summer – from meeting the students to seeing all the fascinating projects they are working on over the course of the program – these visits are a great reminder of the incredible work our Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is doing across our Commonwealth,” said Walker.

The students from Williamsport and Montgomery area high schools will earn paid work experience they can use to inform and support future career choices. They are among 500 students across the commonwealth who have been matched to 100 worksites in 57 of the state’s 67 counties.

The student workers at Rider Park will work on projects including park trail repairs, drainage improvements, trail marker maintenance, invasive plant management, and wet tread improvement over the course of four weeks, according to the department.

“These students are gaining invaluable skills they’ll be able to use throughout their careers, bettering their communities, and making memories that will surely last a lifetime,” said Walker. “Along with the Governor and First Lady, I will always support programs that lift up Pennsylvanians living with a disability to ensure their rightful place both in society and in the halls of power.”

The students are paid for their work through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, meaning the municipalities in which they work receive the help at no cost.

The initiative highlights an ask in the Shapiro administration’s proposed budget, which would increase funding for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation by $5 million dollars in the 2025-2026 year. In addition to the MY Work program, the office assists individuals with disabilities at any age with employment counseling, skill development, and job placement services.

An additional $18.5 million has been proposed in the budget for other labor initiatives, including apprenticeship programs, the Schools-to-Work program, and the Nurse Shortage Assistance program.

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The office says it has served nearly half a million Pennsylvanians since 2016, offering “vocational counseling, evaluations, medical diagnostic services, medical restoration services, employment training, placement services, and career support services.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for those age 16 and over with disabilities is 7.6%, well above the national average.