The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, disabilityworks and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities have announced a summer internships program designed specifically for Chicago high school and college students with disabilities interested in careers in information technology for 2009.

The paid and unpaid internships are supported by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, (DCEO), which is made possible through the leadership of Director Jack Lavin and is part of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s Workforce Development Initiative.

The TechWorks internship program will provide 20 students with the exclusive opportunity to participate in an 11 week information technology internship with some of Chicago’s most prestigious corporations.

The Internship Program’s Four Main Objectives are:

• Enable students to gain real-world work experience and further enhance employment opportunities in "IT".
• Increase students’ current "IT" skills and explore information technology as a possible career choice.
• Increase placement in "IT" jobs for interns who complete the program.
• With exposure to highly competent interns, TechWorks seeks to break down stereotypes and help eliminate employer fears about the limitations of persons with disabilities.

Current high school or college students, age 16 years or older, living or going to school in the City of Chicago are invited to apply regardless of disability. All applications must be received no later than December 15, 2008. Students must be able to legally work in the U.S., and be in good academic standing.

Students should request an application by clicking "Apply" link on the Home page at www.chicagotechworks.org. TechWorks will begin identifying and interviewing students starting in October, 2008 and begin presenting those candidates to employers in January, 2009.

It will be the student’s responsibility to prepare for their internships, i.e. additional computer classes, job readiness skills, workshops, job coaching, etc. The preparation steps will depend on the student’s and the employer’s requirements.

Once an intern is selected for the TechWorks program, he or she will be given a "Plan of Work" which will outline job requirements and expectations. TechWorks will assist students in finding sources for training in order to prepare them for their internships.

Interns with disabilities might require accommodations ranging from schedule flexibility to allow for medication regimens, assistive equipment, like computers, or services such as sign language interpreters. We will make every effort to assist with providing a workplace accommodation to enable an individual with a disability to participate in or benefit from internship opportunities resulting from TechWorks, barring undue hardship.

TechWorks will screen candidates, set up interviews and maintain regular contact throughout the internship.