Employer Information and Child Labor Laws
Becoming a CO-OP Training Site
The following are basic guildelines for employers interested in becoming an approved training site for a CTE program at Steel Center.
- Provide a safe work environment
- Pay a legal wage equal to or higher than minimum wage ($7.25)
- Provide wages in the form of a company payroll check with documentation of all standardized deductions
- Possess workers’ compensation insurance
- Possess up-to-date Federal and State clearances including criminal history records and child abuse history
- Sign the Cooperative Education agreement and training plan
- Provide period evaluation of student performance
- Adhere to Federal and State regulations regarding employment and child labor laws
Obtaining Clearances
Pennsylvania requires that companies entering into co-op or internship agreements have one adult in the workplace (with volunteer clearances) who will be designated as the supervisor of the student (clearances are needed if the student learner is a minor; no clearances are required for those supervisors working with students at or over age 18).
The designated supervisor shall be the one responsible for the student's welfare while at work. This supervisor must be in the "immediate vicinity" (an area in which he/she is physically present with the student and can see, hear, direct and assess the activities of the student) at regular intervals with the student.
Clearances are in effect for 60 months (5 years). The designated supervisor must have the following clearances:
10 year+ residents of PA seeking to be volunteers may sign a disclosure statement in lieu of being fingerprinted and obtaining a Federal Criminal Background Check.
YouthRules!
Additional Resources
This site provides general information on laws regarding the employment of minors in PA.
Certain occupations are deemed hazardous for minors in PA. NOTE: Some exemptions are allowable for student-learners enrolled in an approved CTE program that trained them for employment in the specified field.
Child Labor provisions under the FLSA for non-agricultural occupations
The state provides printable copies of the mandatory posters for PA employers
The Abstract of the Child Labor Act Provisions outlines the number of hours and days within a week that a minor may work during a school term and school vacation periods
The US Department of Labor outlines the requirements and restrictions for teens driving as a part of their employment.
Obtaining a Work Permit
Minors (youth under the age of 18) must possess a work permit to work in the state of PA. Students looking to work need to visit their high school office to receive an application for a transferable permit.