Teens looking for a great opportunity this summer would do well to look no further than a teen intern program that Suffolk Public Library received a grant for this year.

The library announced last week that it’s one of 25 libraries nationwide that got this grant from the Young Adult Library Service Association, a division of the American Library Association.

Teen interns will be hired to help with library tasks. In addition to working in a library, which could inspire them to a number of interesting and exciting careers, the teens will get the chance to get valuable work experience like following a routine schedule, on-the-job problem-solving and improving their basic math skills, which have been identified as workforce gaps in the community.

The hired teens will get a stipend from the grant, as well, so they’ll have a little spending money over the summer.

“This is a great way for teens to learn about a different career as well as gain some workforce knowledge and skills that can be used in their future,” Tiffany Duck, manager of library locations, stated in a press release.

Internships are an important tool in helping teens and young adults get ready for a full career. Internships not only help young people develop important skills but also can guide them toward a career choice in the first place. Many young people don’t know what they want in a career, and many others may think they know what they want when in fact it’s not the best career for them. An internship can help young people make the best decision early in their adult life.

We’re thankful to the Young Adult Library Service Association as well as the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, which sponsors the grants through the association. We believe these internships will be helpful for our young people.