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August 15, 2007
Creating New Opportunities for Milwaukee's Young People
For the third straight summer, I put young people to work through my Summer Youth Jobs Program. Since launching this effort in 2004, we've placed more than 2,500 Milwaukee high school students into meaningful work experiences.
The program has three simple goals: earn, learn & plan a path to future employment. The program allows young people to earn money, helps them build job skills, provides them a productive summer activity and creates connections with a variety of careers.
This year we have 244 teens (20% of program participants) working summer jobs throughout City departments, 545 (45%) in the private sector and 426 (35%) working non-profit jobs, thanks to a grant from the State.
The Summer Youth Jobs Program demonstrates the City's leadership in developing our workforce. Through a streamlined process we link employers to young workers, and we maximize our resources to ensure the highest job count possible. And we continue to provide young people with great experiences to help them obtain family-supporting jobs in the future.
I recently visited teens on the job throughout Milwaukee to see and hear firsthand about their experiences.
In City departments, we placed students in a wide range of fields, from forestry to customer service, neighborhood planning to engineering, and more. Erica Carter is a student at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts. She worked this summer with the Milwaukee Health Department to assist with medical programs that serve families and youth at the Southside Health Center. Erica says her summer was well-spent at the clinic as the experience boosted her desire for a career in medicine.
Working with private sector employers, we are able to provide professional opportunities in manufacturing, health care, retail, and more. Chaz Hamilton worked at Quarles & Brady this summer, gaining office skills and learning about careers in the legal profession. Chaz used to bag groceries for Lena's Foods. Today he's interested in law and has found a mentor.
In the non-profit sector, young people fueled the work of more than 90 community-based organizations and faith-based agencies this summer. For example, several teens worked for the Milwaukee River Revitalization Project to help restore the environmental health of the river. Teens who worked here say they had never spent time in a natural setting, especially in the city, and many were inspired to learn more about careers in environmental sciences, botany and more.
I encourage you to read a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about Milwaukee's Summer Youth Jobs Program. The story shows how my program is growing despite national trends, and you can read more testimonials from participating teens.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=645042
The Summer Youth Jobs Program offers hope and motivation for our young people and I need your help to grow more opportunities. We're looking for additional companies throughout Wisconsin to take on teen interns for the summer. A small investment today will strengthen Milwaukee's workforce of tomorrow.
Think you can't use a teen at your place of business? Think again. We can help companies identify opportunities to get extra tasks done by teens. It's a great way to recruit your future employees. If interested, send us an email at mayor@milwaukee.gov.
Let's make Summer 2008 even more successful for Milwaukee's young people!
Sincerely,
Mayor, City of Milwaukee
Visit my website at: http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/mayor
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