Youth at Work

The following is a press release issued by New Haven City Hall

NEW HAVEN - Last August, Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. celebrated the accomplishments of 1,250 New Haven teens who were employed through the city's Youth at Work Program. The program, a component of the Mayor's Youth Initiative, partners with 110 public and private employers to offer employment opportunities to city youth. The city's Youth Department is running the program again in 2008 and is now ready to accept applications for summer job placements. Through this program, students have been matched with employment at City Hall, summer camps, the Board of Education, law firms, retail stores and a number of other agencies where they received hands-on training to succeed in the workplace.

The 2008 application period begins on Monday, Feb.11. In order to participate, teens must be:
- between the ages of 14 -19
- enrolled in grade 9 or higher
- enrolled in New Haven Schools or demonstrate proof of residency in the city of New Haven

Applications are available at all New Haven Public high schools and middle schools, City Hall, at 165 Church St., 2nd Floor, and on-line at cityofnewhaven.com. Interested students are encouraged to call 946-7582 for additional information. The application period ends on May 2.

"Our young people need access to positive choices, mentors, jobs and training," said DeStefano, "Through Youth at Work we can provide them with all of this. Our city's youth are given the opportunity to explore careers, learn about what they need to do to succeed in the workforce and develop their own leadership abilities. We're expanding this program every year to include more teens over the summer and to be able to place them in jobs throughout the school-year as well."

Prior to their first day on the job, all participating youth attend training sessions where they learn about professionalism, appropriate attire, communication skills and work ethics. The program is intended to serve as a work-based learning experience designed to provide students with new skills, teach workplace responsibility and provide safe and coordinated employment opportunities for the city's youth.