If Congress fails to act in a responsible way nearly, 500,000 economically disadvantaged young people throughout our nation will not have the benefits of a summer job.
In order to reduce the deficit — a position I strongly support — the U.S. House of Representatives has decided that they must eliminate the nation’s Summer Youth Employment and Training Program. Nothing could be more shortsighted. The nation’s Summer Jobs Program is relatively inexpensive (under $1 billion per year), providing hundreds of thousands of economically disadvantaged young people with an opportunity to learn about the world of work and to develop their academic and workplace skills.
Since 1965, the nation’s Summer Jobs Program has provided millions of economically disadvantaged youth, who otherwise would not have been able to secure summer employment, with work experience, remedial education and a respectable source of income.
From the Bedford Stuyvesant district of New York City’s Kings County to Gallatin County, Mont., this program has taught economically disadvantaged young people about the value of a job and the dignity of work. Moreover, this program has enabled these youths to contribute to the economic well-being of their families and to begin each school year with the supplies and resources they need to excel in school.
Their earnings, moreover, benefit the entire community in which they work and reside. Through purchases from local vendors, their earnings may recycle within our communities two to three times.
Now, for the first time in 30 years, and as a result of congressional failure to appropriate funds for the nation’s summer jobs program, more than one-half million economically disadvantaged youth may go without a job this summer.
Instead, many of these youths will be on the streets, without guidance or direction, without purpose or meaning. They will not receive the remedial education or work experience they need and should receive to become active and contributing members of society. At worst, they will get in trouble with the law or find alternative and illegal sources of income.
The Department of Labor’s Inspector General — an independent agency with responsibility for ensuring that funds are spent properly and effectively — reported in 1995 that the program is a success and that it contributes to the academic enrichment and work experience of those who participate.
We also know that the private sector may be incapable of making up for the loss of these publicly funded jobs. A study conducted earlier this year by NACo (See story, p. ?) found that the private sector appears unable to make up for the shortfall in summer jobs. Only about one-third of the lost jobs would be replaced by private sector jobs. And while NACo generally supports private sector solutions to public problems, summer jobs is not an area in which such solutions seem possible.
We know that this program works. The Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, which has not been friendly to most job training programs, has praised the summer program for meeting its goals and objectives and providing meaningful work to America’s disadvantaged youth. Furthermore, Department of Labor and independent studies have documented the success of this program.
The U. S. Senate, by a vote of 84 to 16, has supported an appropriation of $635 million for summer jobs. The Senate and the Congressional Budget Office agree that the reductions in spending the Administration has proposed to pay for the summer jobs program are real. Now it is up to the House of Representatives to stand up in support of this outstanding program that has been shown to make a huge difference in the lives of our kids, our families and our community.
(Neil Bomberg is NACo associate legislative director.)