Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

In response to an uptick in youth violence and increasing youth unemployment, Prince George's County, Maryland legislators passed a bill to scale up its modest summer jobs program. The bill established a non-lapsing fund to receive public and private monies to increase the number of full-time positions for youth ages 15-19 at government agencies and non-profit organizations. Recognizing the importance of behavioral “soft” skills to workplace success, legislators mandated that the new Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program include job readiness and career development training. The County partnered with its area community college, public schools, and others to develop a free Job Readiness Training program for first-year youth learn key workplace behaviors, and a Career Pathways for second-year youth to gain industry-specific skills. Both programs are offered at the College and area high schools on winter weekends with homework assigned on-line. Youth complete an assessment and receive continuing education credits, a college transcript, and a summer job hiring preference. In addition, first-year youth complete a paid four-day In-Service Training at the college prior to starting their summer jobs. Between 2014 and 2017, the numbers of youth employed grew from 504 to 3,132 and youth trained from 631 to 883.