Washington
CNN
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white House is lifting a longstanding barrier of entry for many young Americans as it announces it will pay its interns starting this fall.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing the launch of the White House Internship Program and, for the first time in history, paid White House interns. The first session will begin in the fall of 2022,” said a White House statement shared exclusively with CNN.
The statement continued, “This significant milestone of paying White House interns will help to remove barriers to equal opportunity for low-income students and first-generation professionals early in their careers and help ensure The people who receive internships at the White House — and who will be a vital part of the leadership pipeline throughout the federal government — reflect the diversity of America.”
The internship will be funded through a provision for White House internships included in the massive government funding bill passed earlier this year. Prospective candidates can start applying from Monday and will be notified in August.
More than 18 months after President Joe Biden took office, it is the first time that Biden will have a full range of interns at the White House due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Fall 2022 session will be held in person on the White House campus. Program leadership will continue to monitor the public health landscape related to COVID-19 and adapt program approaches to ensure a safe and healthy work environment,” said the White House. he said.
The White House has long been under pressure to pay its apprentices, which has long lagged behind many private sector employers. Internships have always been unpaid and housing or living costs have not been provided, creating a significant burden for those selected for the coveted role and keeping many deserving candidates away.
Grassroots Fair Pay Campaign Launches Efforts to Call on Then-President Barack Obama to Pay His Apprentices back in 2013 As Obama spent his summer advocating for a minimum wage increase across the country.
Mickey Franklin of the Fair Pay campaign said at the time, “We do not believe the White House can, in good faith, go after minimum wage and simultaneously have unpaid workers.”
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the White House, said Thursday, “Committed to building an administration that looks like America, believing that people of all backgrounds and deserving lives should have an equal opportunity to serve our country. The commitment is reflected in each White House Internship Program class, and all who are interested and who meet the established criteria are highly encouraged to apply.”
The White House said the internship runs from September 12 to December 16 and is open to current college students who graduated within two years, or veterans with high school diplomas who have been on active duty within the past two years. work done.