Brooklyn youths between 14-24 who are looking for work this summer have a great opportunity as the city’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) today announced is will accept applications for the 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from Monday, March 2 through Friday, April 10.
The SYEP is the nation’s largest summer youth employment initiative and provides the city’s youth with up to six weeks of entry-level experience at worksites in all five boroughs. Participants are selected by lottery for the program, which runs from July 6 through August 15.
“My first job and love of public service are the result of the Summer Youth Employment Program, which taught me work ethic and positively affected the career choices I have made,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong. “Studies show that SYEP improves school attendance, offers new skills, reduces incarceration rates and keeps teens and young adults safe—including youth who wouldn’t otherwise have access to paying jobs—and I urge eligible New Yorkers to apply today for more opportunities tomorrow.”
SYEP participants are compensated for their work at thousands of diverse worksites, including government agencies, hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises and retail. SYEP also offers workshops on job readiness, career exploration and financial literacy, and opportunities to continue education and social growth. Specialized programming for disabled, foster care, runaway/homeless and court-involved young people are also available. Ladders for Leaders is an employer-paid internship component of SYEP for youth aged 16-21.
Last year, more than 47,000 young New Yorkers were employed and nearly 8,500 worksites were developed in all five boroughs.
Youth can apply online or at a participating community-based organization during the application period. Worksites interested in providing jobs have until Saturday, May 16, 2015 to apply. Online applications for both are available on the DYCD website. Updates will also be posted to DYCD’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites. For more information, call 311 or DYCD Youth Connect (1-800-246-4646).
