Get Started Working!
Pennsylvania’s Child Labor Laws indicate no one under the age of 18 shall be employed without a general or vacation employment certificate. The employment certificates are issued by school authorities and require proof of age and parental/guardian signature(s).
An employment certificate is issued to minors ages 14-15.
A transferable work permit is issued to minors ages 16-17.
Youth aged 18 years or older do not need them.
Contact your local school district’s administration office to get the specific procedure to obtain working papers. Listed below are Lehigh Valley local districts.
| Bethlehem Area School District Education Center 1516 Sycamore Street Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-861-0500 | Saucon Valley School District High School Guidance Office 2100 Polk Valley Road Hellertown, PA 18055 610-838-7003 |
| Easton Area School District High School Guidance Office 2601 William Penn Highway Easton, PA 18042 610-250-2500 | Northampton Area School District High School Guidance Office 1619 Laubach Avenue Northampton, PA 18067 610-262-7812 |
| Wilson Area School District Administration Office 2040 Washington Boulevard Easton, PA 18042 610-258-0841 | Allentown School District 31 South Penn Street Allentown, PA 18101 484-765-4080 |
| Bangor Area School District High School Office 187 Five Points Richmond Road Bangor, PA 18013 610-599-7011 | Whitehall-Coplay School District High School Office 3800 Mechanicsville Road Whitehall, PA 18052 610-437-5081 |
| Pen Argyl Area High School High School Office 501 West Laurel Street Pen Argyl, PA 18072 610-863-1293 | East Penn School District High School Office 500 Macungie Avenue Emmaus, PA 18049 610-965-1650 |
| Nazareth Area School District High School Office East Center Street Nazareth, PA 18064 610-759-1730 | Parkland School District High School Office 2700 N. Cedar Crest Boulevard Allentown, PA 18104 610-351-5600 |
| Catasauqua Area School District High School Office 850 Pine Street Catasauqua, PA 18032 610-264-0506 | Southern Lehigh School District High School Office 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 610-282-1421 |
| Northwestern Lehigh School District High School Office 6493 Route 39 New Tripoli, PA 18066 610-298-8661 | Northern Lehigh School District School Guidance Office One Bull Dog Lane Slatington, PA 18080 610-767-9832 |
| Salisbury Township School District High School Office 500 E. Montgomery Street Allentown, PA 18103 610-797-4107 |
For more information on the specifics on obtaining working papers (employment certificates), contact the school district administration in which you reside as listed above.
🚀 Youth Spotlight: J’Livette’s Journey of Workforce Success! 🌟
Meet J’Livette, a recent high school graduate with big dreams of becoming a psychologist. Through the WIOA In-School Youth program, offered by the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board in partnership with PA CareerLink®, she gained real-world experience, career-readiness skills, and the confidence to succeed.
After completing employability training and a paid work experience at the Allentown Public Library, J’Livette landed a retail job and is preparing to start her next chapter at Moravian University this fall! 🎓💼
Her journey is just one example of how workforce programs empower local youth to grow, lead, and achieve. 💪 ... See MoreSee Less
Spending the weekend updating your résumé? Here’s a tip – keep it simple! That template may look pretty, but it can over-complicate your information and cause issues with résumé scanner programs.
Connect with us to perfect your application! 📄
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Auxiliary Aids and Services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities/Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Programs at PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley are funded in whole or in part by federal funds. Detailed information can be found at www.lvwib.org/stevens-amendment. Equal Opportunity Officer: EqualOpportunity@careerlinklv.org or 610-841-8332 TTY Line 610-437-0741. More information on adaptive equipment and Equal Opportunity resources can be found at www.lvwib.org/equal-opportunity-and-adaptive-equipment. ... See MoreSee Less
PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley offers courses and assistance in Spanish for those who are learning English as a second language. Stop in or reach out to get connected to one of our Spanish-speaking representatives, careerlinklehighvalley.org/contact-us
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PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley ofrece cursos y asistencia en español para quienes están aprendiendo inglés como segundo idioma. Visítenos o contáctenos para comunicarse con uno de nuestros representantes hispanohablantes: careerlinklehighvalley.org/contact-us
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Auxiliary Aids and Services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities/Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Programs at PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley are funded in whole or in part by federal funds. Detailed information can be found at www.lvwib.org/stevens-amendment. Equal Opportunity Officer: EqualOpportunity@careerlinklv.org or 610-841-8332 TTY Line 610-437-0741. More information on adaptive equipment and Equal Opportunity resources can be found at www.lvwib.org/equal-opportunity-and-adaptive-equipment. ... See MoreSee Less