For Immediate Release: May 8, 2007
Contact: Jason Barron, 513-352-5356, or 614-554-5952 (cell)
Mayor Mallory Announces City Youth Jobs Initiative
Program will employ 220 youth, ages 14-24 for the summer
East End, Cincinnati – Mayor Mark Mallory today announced the Mayor’s Summer Youth Jobs Initiative at a press conference at Leblond Recreation Center in the East End neighborhood. The Mayor’s initiative will employ 220 youth between the ages of 14 and 24 for the summer through 5 different youth employment programs. For the Initiative, the city will invest a total of $420,000 in the five programs
“I am making youth employment an absolute priority in our city,” Mayor Mallory said. “Too often, youth who want to work do not have access to job opportunities. We need to do everything that we can to expand the number of jobs that are available to our youth. This program will not only hire youth to work for the city and improve our community, but it will also connect the youth employees to mentors and give them professional training.”
The Mayor’s Summer Youth Jobs Initiative is made up of 5 programs:
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MuralWorks youth artist mural program administered by ArtWorks – 80 jobs;
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Green Leaf Summer Jobs administered by the Cincinnati Parks Department that will match youth with Park employee mentors for a variety of duties in the Parks Department – 50 jobs;
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Junior Counselor Program administered by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission to give employment opportunities to 14 year old youth – 30 jobs;
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Recreation Employment Corps administered by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission that will hire interns to help run Recreation Centers – 30 jobs
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Green Team administered by Cincinnati Recreation Commission for entry level positions in the CRC Outdoor Maintenance Division – 30 jobs
Today’s announcement is the latest in a continuous focus on Youth Employment by Mayor Mallory. In November, the Mayor made a half million dollar youth employment program a centerpiece of his first budget proposal. Through the budget process, the city’s commitment to youth employment grew to $1.5 million. On April 19, Mayor Mallory held the 2nd Annual Youth Jobs and Opportunities Fair at the Duke Energy Center to connect young adults to employment opportunities. More than 1,000 young adults attended the job fair that included over 50 employers and 50 youth resource agencies.
“I know that Cincinnati’s youth want to work. The key is to connect them to real job opportunities,” Mayor Mallory said. “We need to help our youth get in the habit of working. Having a job puts money in their pocket and gives them a sense of accomplishment.”
The Mayor was joined at the press conference by Willie Carden, Director of the Cincinnati Parks Department, Michael Thomas, Interim Director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, and Tamara Harkavy, Executive Director of ArtWorks. Each participant described the details of their program.
Attached: Overview of Mayor’s Summer Youth Jobs Initiative
Spreadsheet of Mayor’s Summer Youth Jobs Initiative
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