Paid Internships and Employment Success for Youth in Transition

This article presents information on the characteristics and postschool outcomes of youth who participated in the Marriott Foundation's Bridges... from school to work internship program at seven national sites from 1993 to 1997. A comprehensive database of 3,024 participants was analyzed to determine the extent to which participant and programmatic variables predict post-school employment status at 6, 12, and 18 month follow-up intervals. Neither gender, race, or primary disability made a significant difference in employment status at six months post-internship. Work behaviors during the internship were highly predictive of postschool employment at 6 and 12 month follow-up intervals. A disparity between disability groups and racial categories was noted in post-school employment rates the further out from school exit. The implications of this program model and these findings for future research and practice are discussed.