The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Learn how you can get involved in President Obama's Youth Jobs+ initiative, a challenge issued by the President to increase employment opportunities for low-income or disconnected youth and decrease juvenile violence.
In April, President Obama issued a challenge to local elected officials and business and community leaders: work together to connect young people with summer and year-round job opportunities.
Through its Youth Jobs+ initiative, the Administration is working to both increase employment opportunities for low-income or disconnected youth and decrease juvenile violence. This initiative builds off the highly successful 2012 Summer Jobs+ program. To help local communities that are developing and enhancing programs that support of these goals, the Administration is offering online resources, technical assistance, and local events across the country that highlight the value and importance of providing pathways to employment for young people. The Administration also is working with several national organizations to disseminate these resources, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which issued its own summer youth jobs challenge this year.
Youth Jobs+ partners can accept the President’s challenge by offering new paid employment opportunities for low-income or disconnected youth, or by expanding current opportunities for youth employment. In addition, partners can provide youth with work-related professional development opportunities, such as workshops and assistance in navigating post-secondary educational experiences, and offer work-ready skills training for youth through job shadow days, academic tutoring, unpaid internships, and job readiness training. Lastly, community organizations and local governments can partner with employers to provide youth with wrap-around services, such as mentoring and financial literacy training.
Want to join the effort? Here are a couple of ways to get started:
- If you are a local elected official, check out our list of Summer Jobs+ partners in your community. Promote youth job or employment-training opportunities in your area on social media with the hashtag #YouthJobs. For questions or technical assistance, contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
- If you are a business or nonprofit, check out our Summer Employment Toolkit from the White House Council for Community Solutions and connect with local officials in your area. Promote your youth jobs or employment-training opportunities on social media with the hashtag #YouthJobs
- If you are looking for a job or looking to help others connect, check out these online job banks and take a look at our financial literacy toolkit.
We look forward to hearing your stories about youth jobs on social media with the hashtag #YouthJobs.
