McKeesport, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker visited Renziehausen Park to meet with students building confidence and gaining valuable work experience through L&I’s MY Work summer employment program for high school students with disabilities in the community where it began 10 years ago.
Launched in 2016 by L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) as a pilot in Allegheny County, MY Work began with just 50 students working for the City of McKeesport's Public Works Department and Mayor's Office. Since expanding statewide in 2021, the program has already connected more than 2,600 young adults with paid summer employment. In a first for the program, this summer, more than 1,000 students are working at more than 250 MY Work sites across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
“Ten years ago, McKeesport showed that when students with disabilities are given meaningful opportunities to work, everyone benefits. Today, we're seeing the results of that vision across Pennsylvania. MY Work is helping young people build confidence, develop valuable job skills, earn their first paycheck, and discover what's possible for their futures,” said Secretary Walker. “None of this would be possible without dedicated community partners whose commitment has helped make this program a lasting success, and leaders like Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro who are strong advocates for Pennsylvanians with disabilities who understand the importance of investing in OVR’s programming.”
MY Work is one of many programs empowering Pennsylvania’s next generation of workers with the support, training, and education they need to chart their own course. Governor Shapiro’s newly signed bipartisan 2026-27 budget builds on three and a half years of historic investments to expand and support the Commonwealth’s workforce, by securing a $10 million increase for career and technical education (CTE) programs, bringing the total spend on vo-tech, CTE and apprenticeships to $193 million – a 60 percent increase compared to before Governor Shapiro took office.
McKeesport was the program's first employer partner in 2016 and has welcomed MY Work students back every summer since, with the same worksite trainers mentoring participants year after year. Students work in the City's Public Works Department and Mayor's Office, and due to growing interest in the program, the McKeesport Library joined as a new MY Work worksite this summer.
Before visiting McKeesport, Secretary Walker met with students working at Homestead Cemetery in Munhall, another longstanding MY Work partner. The cemetery has participated continuously since 2019, with the same worksite trainers returning each summer.
MY Work provides students with disabilities meaningful paid work experience while helping communities complete projects that make a lasting difference. Students with disabilities who have paid work experience before graduation are four times more likely to obtain competitive integrated employment after leaving school. For many participants, MY Work provides their first job, first paycheck, and first opportunity to explore a career; wages are fully covered by OVR.
In the Pittsburgh region, MY Work has already created lasting employment opportunities. Several participating employers have hired former MY Work students, and one former participant even returned to Homestead Cemetery as a worksite trainer – coming full circle as a mentor for the next generation of students.
Each year, OVR works with more than 76,000 students and adults with disabilities across Pennsylvania. Last year, nearly 18,000 students received Pre-Employment Transition Services, including paid work-based learning experiences like MY Work, and OVR helped more than 6,400 individuals secure competitive integrated employment.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, please visit the website or follow L&I on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Note: The Pennsylvania Vocational Rehabilitation program receives 78.7 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For federal fiscal year 2025, the total amount of federal grant funds awarded was $163,789,270. The remaining 21.3 percent of the costs ($44,329,243) were funded by state appropriations or another non-federal allowable source.
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