Fergus Falls Chamber Receives Grant to Support Youth Internship Wages

The Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has been awarded a grant to help cover the wages of youth interns in 2025. The chamber will receive up to $35,556 from the Future Ready Workforce Grant, a program funded by the Greater Twin Cities United Way and the Minnesota Chamber Foundation.

The grant program is designed to support businesses that offer paid internships in high-demand career areas, such as nursing, commercial driver's license (CDL), manufacturing, automotive, construction, maintenance, and other areas.

"Our goal is to amplify youth work experiences in the area and encourage students to pursue in-demand, high-paying careers," said Chamber President Lisa Workman.

In 2024, the chamber used a similar grant to support 66 youth intern wages at 24 employers. The funds were distributed as reimbursements to businesses for wages paid to interns.

Businesses interested in applying for the 2025 grant can find more information on the chamber's website (FergusFalls.com) in February.

"We are honored to help reinforce the importance of these job experiences for students in the area," Workman said.

For more information, contact Lisa Workman at the Fergus Falls Chamber (218-736-6951).