In January, President Obama announced an initiative called Summer Jobs+. He called on businesses, non-profits and the public sector to increase employment opportunities for low-income youth and those disconnected from school or work.
President Obama announced, “America’s young people face record unemployment, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they’ve got the opportunity to earn the skills and a work ethic that come with a job. It’s important for their future, and for America’s…Today, we’re launching Summer Jobs+, a joint initiative that challenges business leaders and communities to join my Administration in providing hundreds of thousands of summer jobs for America’s youth.”
The administration’s goal is to identify 250,000 employment opportunities by the start of summer, including 100,000 paid opportunities.
San Francisco’s City leadership and youth employment community were eager to join this effort. As the summer approaches, efforts are underway to catalyze hundreds of new youth jobs in San Francisco. Many of these jobs will be supported by local private countries that see the need to expand opportunities for local youth.
YouthWorks is excited to partner with other youth employment providers in the City to identify strategies to significantly increase the number of summer positions available. In addition to supporting other efforts, we are striving to identify funding and volunteers to support a significant increase in the numbers of available internships we can offer in City government.