The Alcoa Foundation has awarded a $125,000 grant to Bellingham Technical College to fund paid internships for unemployed youth designed to help them launch new careers in manufacturing.

The foundation’s funding will provide interns with 100 hours of work experience while earning pay of $10 per hour. The grant is administered by the Institute of International Education, and is part of the Alcoa Foundation Global Internship Program for Unemployed Youth.

The internship, which is open to applicants age 18-24, will allow BTC manufacturing students to develop work skills, and is expected to specifically benefit low-income students looking to gain real-world job experience.