Prebys Introduces 2024 Grant Funding to Enhance Career Opportunities for Youth Across San Diego County

Organizations Receiving Part of the $5.89 Million Foster a Thriving San Diego Workforce

Prebys funds 24 grantees as part of a commitment to ensuring San Diego County youth are thriving and actively engaged in their communities

Prebys Foundation awarded 24 local organizations $5.89 Million as part of a commitment to ensuring San Diego County youth are thriving and actively engaged in their communities. 

“Paid internships help students gain essential experience, skills, and professional connections, ultimately bridging the socio-economic gaps that too often leave them behind," said Grant Oliphant, CEO of Prebys Foundation. "We are excited to announce our 2024 ‘Youth Workforce’ grantees, who will expand the availability of internships and apprenticeships in key industries essential to San Diego County’s economy, including healthcare, creative fields, IT, STEM, education, construction, and environmental sectors. Our collective goal is to help more young people find pathways to successful careers and contribute to a brighter future for our community." 

The awarded organizations invest in systems, providers, and communities that support San Diego youth, helping them to learn, dream, and achieve their goals. Additionally, they have track records in workforce development and offer internships and apprenticeships in high-potential industries essential for San Diego’s growth. Awarded organizations include: 

2024 Prebys Youth Workforce Grantees 

“Creating pathways for all students to participate in internships—regardless of their financial background—will empower them to contribute their talents and ideas while fostering a more inclusive workforce,” said Chris Sichel, Vice President of Programs. 

The Impact of Internships Revealed Through Data:

Learning while working is vital for students to succeed after they complete a degree or receive a credential. Work-based learning experiences help students learn new skills, build networks, and gain clarity on their future goals. Evidence has shown that holding an internship can increase academic performance, confidence in career-planning decisions, employability, and career satisfaction. Holding an internship can also help employers more readily recognize that a job candidate has valuable skills, which often leads to regular employment.

Paid internships stand out for their ability to yield significant benefits. Participants of paid internships often receive more job offers and command higher starting salaries compared to their peers in unpaid positions. A 2022 study highlighted that paid interns had a median starting salary of $62,500, significantly higher than the $42,500 reported by unpaid interns, indicating a substantial financial advantage over the course of a career.

About the Youth Workforce Grants:

Prebys Foundation issued an open call for proposals in March for organizations to provide paid internships and/or apprenticeships for youth ages 16-26. These internships give young adults the skills and training to be successful in the workplace, grow a current career sector, and allow youth who do not normally have access to paid internships the opportunity to earn and learn while building their social and professional network.

The organizations who are receiving a grant provide internships and/or apprenticeships in high-potential industries that are available and needed in San Diego. These industries include healthcare, the creative workforce, IT, STEM, education, construction, and the environment and are offered in all regions of the county. They serve youth from historically underinvested communities such as refugees, immigrants, justice-impacted, and unhoused.

Each grantee provided information on:

Background: 

In 2023, The Conrad Prebys Foundation unveiled a strategic plan dedicated to enhancing community well-being by fostering purpose, opportunity, and belonging for every resident. This plan was shaped by over a hundred interviews and an extensive listening tour across the county. 

The Foundation invests in visual and performing arts, medical research, health care, and youth success, envisioning a future where San Diego County youth have their basic needs met while pursuing education, training, and career opportunities. The ultimate goal is to equip youth with access to careers that provide self-sustaining wages, financial stability, and social mobility over the next 10 to 20 years. The details of that vision include: 

About Prebys Foundation:

Prebys Foundation is the largest independent private foundation in San Diego County, a unique tri-national area encompassing communities from San Diego, Tijuana, and the Kumeyaay Nation. The foundation works to create an inclusive, equitable, and dynamic future for all San Diegans. Prebys advances excellence and shared opportunity through investments in groundbreaking institutions, ideas, and people to ensure more people in the region are financially secure, healthy, empowered, and connected. For more information about the Prebys Foundation, visit prebysfdn.org.