Boston teenagers are getting again to work following the pandemic-era lull, officers stated, with over 7,000 jobs provided by means of the town’s Youth Summer Jobs program reportedly stuffed.
“This summer, our goal was to connect 7,000 young people with a summer job opportunity, really with the hopes of providing really tangible skill development, work readiness and useful experiences,” stated Rashad Cope, director of the town’s Department of Youth Engagement and Employment.
“We’re still counting some numbers across our ecosystem, but our early numbers indicate that we have reached our goal. So that’s exciting milestone,” he added.
This 12 months, the town invested over $18 million within the SuccessLink Youth Jobs program, which subsidizes and connects younger folks between 14 and 24 years previous with jobs inside metropolis companies, nonprofits and different organizations.
Officials marketed this system going into the summer time as measurably helpful to teen’s employability, networking, security, tutorial success and different metrics.
Last 12 months, the town provided about 6,000 jobs by means of this system, however solely stuffed roughly 3,500.
Youth jobs have been hit onerous by the pandemic, stated Neil Sullivan, the chief director of Private Industry Council Executive Director, however this summer time’s success indicated the town is “well on our way to full recovery.”
“We’re really able to imagine summer after summer young people starting in subsidized community-based employment and then moving up to employer-paid internships in health care, in financing, technology, life sciences,” stated Sullivan. “And really imagined realizing our ambition for a summer jobs career pathway.”
This 12 months the town expanded alternatives with initiatives just like the grant-making mannequin providing $13 million in grants to associate organizations recruiting younger folks and the Learning-Hiring program permitting college students to work in greater training and earn school credit score, particularly inside STEM fields, Cope stated.
The “strong labor market” this 12 months meant employers needed to compete for younger employees, Sullivan stated. Retail shops like Target, he cited, are paying younger staff $17 an hour and providing extra hours every week.
For many college students in this system, Sullivan stated, their revenue contributes to their household revenue, and this market permits them each monetary and profession alternative selections.
“Every employer is talking about how strong the young people, how productive the young people were this summer,” stated Sullivan, citing conversations at closing ceremonies for this system at workplaces throughout the town.
Going ahead, Cope stated, the main target is on enhancing job choices “to ensure every young person in the city is exploring careers and exposed to various occupations and industry.”
“This was a foundational year for a bigger, stronger summer jobs program in 2024 and beyond,” Sullivan stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”