By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications
Twenty-two applications have been submitted for this year’s First-Time Youth Wage Grant program, Linn County commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker were told by Administrative Assistant Amanda Giles at their Sept. 23 meeting.
This is the 18th year the program has been sponsored by the Board of Commissioners. It provides employers who hire young people ages 14 to 19 with a $3 per hour stipend on their wages.
Applications from Sweet Home Dairy Queen and Sweet Home A & W were approved last week, bringing the total approved thus far this year to 17. Three applications have been forwarded to the County Attorney’s Office for drafting of grant agreements. Two applications are missing required information.
To qualify, businesses must hire eligible employees between May 1 and Sept. 30. The employee must be legal to work in the United States and a resident of Linn County.
Qualifying businesses must employ 35 or fewer employees and the young people must be first-time employees, who have not previously worked for the individual business.
An employer can hire up to three youths at any given time and receive a maximum of $1,500 per new hire, or $4,500 total. Employers have until Nov. 14, 2025, to submit a request for reimbursement.
Stipends are supported by Linn County’s share of Video Lottery funds.
For more information, call Amanda Giles, administrative assistant, at the Linn County Board of Commissioners office at (541)-967-3825, extension 2129, or visit LinnCountyor.gov/businessdevelopment/page/youth-wage-grant.
“I appreciate the staff keeping this program alive,” Commissioner Tucker said.
He added that securing a first job is important and he wants young people to have a successful work experience.