He’s putting these kids to work!
Seventy thousand New Yorkers in their teens and early twenties received summer jobs through a city-wide youth employment program kicked-off by Councilman Mathieu Eugene (D–Flatbush) on July 5 that teaches the young adults skills to build successful careers and stay out of trouble, according to the pol.
“Jobs are very important ways to learn discipline and respect for others,” said Eugene, the Chairman of the Council’s Youth Services Committee. “Some young people go down the wrong path because of lack of self esteem and discipline, but in providing jobs we will help reduce the violence and juvenile delinquency among them, and instill skills and values they need to succeed in life.”
Some of the entry-level jobs available to 14- to 24-year-olds in the Summer Youth Employment Program are at public green spaces, including Prospect Park, where Eugene celebrated participants’ first day of work with an announcement alongside reps from Flatbush’s Council of Jewish Organizations, a partner in the program.
Other industries that provided employment opportunities, which pay minimum wage and continue through Aug. 19, include education, healthcare, retail, marketing, and real estate.
The city’s Department of Youth and Community Development, also a partner in the program, receives around 135,000 applications annually for it, according to Eugene, and more than half of the young job-seekers found work this year — a record number for the scheme, which just years ago provided only 35,000 opportunities.
“These kids are willing to work and begging for the opportunity, and we raised the number of jobs to 70,000, which is unprecedented and historic,” the pol said.
Bringing home a paycheck, of course, is another perk for participants, many of whom come from families that can not afford to provide allowances and benefit from the additional income, Eugene said.
“Many come from working families that struggle to survive and to raise them, and making money from these jobs can be used by the families in addition to the young adults,” he said. “When they start making money, they will love to work, and will continue to make more.”
