Eligible youth are already signing up for the Summer Youth Jobs Program in Tennessee. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is providing $25 million to help provide 12,000 jobs for disadvantaged youth. Summer work will begin in June and end in September for most participants.
“The money provided by the ARRA is helping re-instate a valuable program that will help train, educate and enrich our youth,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “We want the participants in this program to walk away with actual workplace experience that will help to better their future.”
This program is available to youth ages 14 to 24 who are low income and have one or more of the following barriers: deficient in basic literacy skills, school dropout, homeless, runaway or foster child, pregnant or parenting, offender, or an individual (including a youth with a disability) who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment.
The total stimulus allocation of $1-million,162-thousand,019 is being awarded in the Local Workforce Investment Area of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, White Counties. The contact persons are Faye Iverlett and
Linda Schuiten at 931-528-1127.
“We feel this program will be a vital tool in putting youth to work and ultimately stimulating the economy,” said Commissioner James Neeley. “We also anticipate the program to be beneficial to employers who need the additional workers during the summer months, but due to the tough economic situation cannot afford to hire them.”
The current economic downturn is making the possibility of summer employment very difficult for disadvantaged youth. Statistics from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development show the number of unemployed youth since 2007 has more than doubled resulting in more than 45,000 unemployed youth in 2009.
Applications for youth can be picked up at local Tennessee Career Centers or by contacting the Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA) Youth Leads. Participants will be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour. The deadline to submit youth applications is Friday, May 15, 2009.
All employers are eligible to participate in this program except those involved with gambling, swimming pools, aquariums and golf courses.
The funding for the Summer Youth Jobs Program is part of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s proposed FY 2009-2010 budget, which is currently being considered by the Tennessee General Assembly.
For more information on the Summer Youth Program and the ARRA please call the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development at 800-255-5872 or go to http://tn.gov/labor-wfd/EconomicFunding.html.
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