NEW YORK—About 30,000 youths, ages 14–24, started their first day at work through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Thursday throughout the city. In addition to SYEP and other similar programs, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the start of two new pilot programs: NYC Summer Quest to curb learning loss in grade-school students, and the Career and Technical Education Summer Scholars (CTE) job program.
“This year we’re doing something totally different,” Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said. “We have broadened our summer experiences to make sure we’re looking at a variety of ways to employ our youth and make sure they get the richness of New York City, and providing that foundation to become productive adults.”
CTE students participating in the summer job program will have the opportunity to work in Information Technology-focused industries.
Milo Joseph, an 11th-grader attending City Polytechnic High School in downtown Brooklyn, is working for the first time this year, under the CTE program.
“It feels exciting; they put a lot into this program for jobs and résumé training, so it’s a great benefit for me to improve on my skills, teamwork … working with other people, and learning trade,” Joseph said.
Bloomberg said these programs are “giving kids a great education so they can be in charge of their own destiny, and earn a living down the road. … It gives them a leg up in terms of understanding how to work collaboratively and cooperatively and future employers will certainly take that into account.”
NYC Summer Quest will be a three-year pilot program in the Bronx, where elementary- and middle-school students who are not required to take summer-school courses will get the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning activities in core academics, the arts, and learning and leadership skills.
“We know that even students who have the best preparation, if they’re not actively productive over the summer will lose, particularly low-income students, in math and reading,” said Jeanne Mullgrav, commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development.
If Summer Quest is successful, the program will be expanded to other parts of the city next year.
Bloomberg added that despite the new programs and sponsors, the city could still use more youth education programs. Over 130,000 students citywide applied for SYEP jobs this year.
“The number still far outruns our ability to provide [jobs],” Bloomberg said.
This year, $5 million has been allocated toward SYEP by the city, $13.5 million from state funding, $6.1 million in federal funding, and about $6 million more in private donations.
“Our youth are truly the most important investment that we can invest in in this city,” Assemblywoman Grace Meng said. “Every year as we deal and negotiate with the state budget, there are so many items, but the SYEP program has always been something that is nonnegotiable and something that we do our best to maintain.”
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