Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver and the Shapiro Administration today announced that job seekers can soon apply for two fellowship programs with the Commonwealth scheduled to start later this year. The application periods for the William and Hannah Penn Fellowship and the Governor’s Science and Technology Fellowship will open in February and March as the Office of Administration, under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, works to make the Commonwealth’s state government workforce the strongest in the nation.
“The fellowships are a great way to gain real-world experience while serving the public good,” said Secretary Weaver. “Governor Shapiro is focused on cultivating the next generation of innovators and leaders to serve in state government. Programs like the fellowships – as well as Commonwealth internships and apprenticeships – are exposing more people to the impactful work and rewarding career opportunities that we offer.”
The William and Hannah Penn Fellowship gives aspiring professionals with master's and other advanced degrees the chance to work with the state's top executive leaders on projects that support the Governor's policy priorities. This two-year program will open for applications February 10 through February 28. Additional details on the agencies and projects can be found below and in the fellowship job posting.
- Department of Agriculture is seeking a Fellow to work on multiple projects for Pennsylvania’s food systems including the Food Action Plan, State Food Purchase Program, Venison Donation Program, and Food as Medicine.
- Department of Community & Economic Development wants a Fellow to develop a comprehensive toolkit to assist local municipalities in updating and improving their land use and zoning regulations to facilitate housing development.
- Department of Environmental Protection is looking for a Fellow to focus specifically on environmental health issues impacting Pennsylvanians, including PFAS and other emerging threats.
- Department of General Services plans to host a Fellow to rethink surplus property management through a lens of sustainability and digital transformation.
- Department of Health desires a Fellow to assist staff in updating current regulations addressing Pennsylvania’s 271 licensed ambulatory surgical facilities.
- Department of Military & Veterans Affairs is focused on improving organizational leadership, training, work-life balance, and job satisfaction through several priority projects with assistance from a William and Hannah Penn Fellow.
- Department of Revenue (DOR) is interested in hosting a Fellow to research and report on how tax professionals are using artificial intelligence and identifying ways the department can adapt to this emerging technology to better serve Pennsylvanians.
- Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency is seeking a Fellow to support policy research for its newly re-established Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP).
The Governor’s Science and Technology Fellowship is a one-year program designed to attract master’s- and doctorate-level candidates into STEM careers in state government. Selected applicants will be matched with a state agency to work on targeted projects based on their field of study. Applications will be accepted March 10 through April 18. Projects include:
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is also seeking a Fellow with a background in geography and/or geoenvironmental science to help lead the development and implementation of the GIS component of the Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) Grant program.
- Department of Health wants a fellow to assist with evaluating its current funding utilization to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities to secure funding for essential public health programs, as well as supporting the work of an internal task group to address and prioritize funding needs across the agency.
- Department of Health also requests a Fellow to focus on revitalizing the Drugs, Devices, and Cosmetics (DDC) program with the implementation of user-friendly, intuitive processes that result in a reduction in the timelines to process licenses and applications, and an increase in responsiveness to customers while reducing staff burden.
- Department of Transportation is interested in a Fellow to focus on the strategic use of data for decision-making, organizational reviews, re-engineering, and benchmarking to improve performance. The Fellow will also work with staff to create public engagement tools.
You can view the Commonwealth’s growing selection of internship, apprenticeship, and fellowship opportunities to launch your career on Employment.pa.gov.
Under the Shapiro Administration, the Commonwealth has prioritized initiatives to attract, retain, and develop a high-quality state government workforce – including expanding internship, fellowship, and apprenticeship programs to provide hands-on learning and an introduction to public service.
Last May, Governor Shapiro signed an executive order to create the HIRE Committee to continue building a more competitive workforce to meet the evolving needs of Pennsylvania’s residents and be reflective of their diverse backgrounds and beliefs. In his first two years in office, Governor Shapiro has sought to make state government the best place to work in Pennsylvania by:
- Updating medical benefits for employees and their families to reduce enrollment waiting periods and out-of-pocket costs for new hires. As a result, a new employee who purchases medical and prescription benefits for their dependents will save nearly $2,700 compared to before.
- Partnering with a growing number of Pennsylvania colleges and universities to offer tuition discounts and scholarships to Commonwealth employees and/or their dependents, including Central Penn College, Elizabethtown College, Peirce College, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and York College of Pennsylvania.
- Fostering work-life balance, mental health, and wellness by expanding paid parental leave from six weeks to eight weeks, offering new resources to support families and caregivers, and increasing the number of no-cost counseling sessions available through the State Employee Assistance Program from four to six.
- Emphasizing skills and experience in hiring by affirming that Pennsylvanians can qualify for 92 percent of Commonwealth jobs without a college degree and directing the Office of Administration to update jobs where possible to accept qualified applicants without a degree.
The Commonwealth is hiring! 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.
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