The Office of Administration has created a new 'Launch Your Career' webpage for Pennsylvanians to explore internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, and other open opportunities and careers in state government.
Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver and the Shapiro Administration today announced the launch of a new fellowship program for individuals with advanced degrees to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers in state government. The application period for the Governor's Science and Technology Fellowship is open now through April 7, 2024. The new fellowship program will strengthen the Commonwealth's workforce as the Shapiro Administration works to encourage more Pennsylvanians to pursue public service and continues to create opportunity by ensuring all Pennsylvanians have the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.
"Under Governor Shapiro's leadership, we are opening the doors of opportunity for more people to have rewarding careers in public service. The Governor's Science and Technology Fellowship is the latest addition to our internship, apprenticeship, and fellowship programs. Whether you are fresh out of high school, college, or graduate school, we offer programs to help you get started on your path to working for the Commonwealth," said Secretary Weaver. "We are proud to offer these experiences for students and graduates to gain hands-on training and experience, while also bolstering our workforce to provide the services that our fellow residents need."
You can view the Commonwealth's growing selection of internship, apprenticeship, and fellowship opportunities to launch your career on Employment.pa.gov.
The Governor's Science and Technology Fellowship is a one-year program designed to attract master's- or doctorate-level candidates into STEM careers in state government. Applicants who are selected for the fellowship will be matched with a state agency to work on one of 13 targeted projects based on their field of study. Following the completion of their fellowships, participants may be offered a permanent position with the Commonwealth. Details about each project can be found in the fellowship job posting.
Examples of Governor's Science and Technology Fellowship projects include:
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Study iron ore and rock extracted from old mines, as well as the byproducts (slag) from iron smelting, to identify opportunities for the commercial extraction of "critical minerals" that are currently difficult to source in the United States, such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, chromium, and vanadium. The fellow will create education materials and research findings based on the results.
Department of Environmental Protection – Reduce the amount of food that goes into the trash by expanding the network of food recovery charitable organizations, composting operations, and anaerobic digestors to combat hunger, promote alternative energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable practices.
Department of Human Services – Improve individual and community health outcomes through greater integration between behavioral health care and the wider public health care system. This project will conduct research, design policy, and evaluate current and proposed integration efforts. The selected fellow will also collaborate with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy to effectively finance behavioral health services.
Department of Transportation – Promote workforce development and recruitment by creating and deploying a highway construction curriculum in high schools, vocational technical schools, and community colleges that would allow students to meet PennDOT's minimum requirements for a Technical Assistant (focused on construction fields) or Transportation Construction Inspector upon completion.
In his first year in office, Governor Shapiro prioritized creating and expanding opportunities to those who want a career in public service and making the Commonwealth more attractive to job seekers in additional ways. This included:
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was ranked in 2023 among the top employers in the nation by recent college graduates in a new survey conducted by Forbes Magazine and Statista.
Job seekers can visit Employment.pa.gov to view and apply to current job openings, receive notifications about new vacancies in their field, and learn more about the Commonwealth's benefits for employees. Check out the list of upcoming job fairs and hiring events to meet with a recruiter. You can also visit Careers.employment.pa.gov to view all Commonwealth job titles, descriptions, salaries, and other details for all positions, including those that do not require a college degree.
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