Westchester County has teamed up with the Business Council of Westchester and with the Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board to help find summer jobs for youth ages 18 to 21.
Under the new public private partnership, businesses in the county are asked to go to a new Web site: www.westchestersummerjobs.com and fill out a form expressing interest in hiring a young adult or in mentoring a 14-17 year old.
Beginning May 3, those youths seeking a summer job should call United Way's 2-1-1 to register.
Interested applicants will be screened by local youth bureaus and referred to the appropriate business.
"I urge local businesses to consider hiring a young adult this summer," said Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino. "Register on our new website, and we will match you with a person with the qualifications you are seeking. Your business will benefit, your community will benefit, and of course the new employee will benefit."
"The summer youth employment program will provide an opportunity for businesses to not only have great workers, but will also give young people a sense of careers in Westchester businesses," said Marsha Gordon, President/CEO of The Business Council of Westchester. "This is a win-win investment in our future, with the greatest return of preparing our future workforce."
For the past 10 years, the Workforce Investment Board received government funding to support summer employment, including $1.6 million received in 2009 to subsidize training and programs for 932 economically eligible teens and young adults seeking the opportunity to learn, earn money, and take the first steps on the path to a career. Funding is likely to be cut for the summer of 2010. The Westchester Summer Jobs Program's partnership with the private sector was established to help avert a potential youth employment crisis by pairing businesses seeking short-term summer help with prescreened youth eager to work.
"Our new public/private partnership is a prime example of how we can find solutions to some of our local challenges that result from the new economic realities, such as the reduction in government funding," said Donnovan Beckford, director, Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board. "We are looking at new ways of accomplishing as much, if not more, for our youth and businesses in this rapidly changing economic environment."
In addition to providing satisfaction in supporting the start of a career, the Westchester Summer Jobs Program offers financial benefits to area businesses such as tax incentives and payroll savings through the new Federal HIRE Act. White Plains-based Concorde Staffing Group will also offer "at cost" payroll services to participating businesses.
Additional business and service partners in the Westchester Summer Jobs Program include the African American Chamber of Commerce of Westchester & Rockland Counties, the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Resource Group, Inc., The Volunteer Center of United Way, and Harquin Creative Group.
Participating youth agencies include the City of Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, City of Peekskill Youth Bureau, City of White Plains Youth Bureau, City of New Rochelle Youth Bureau, SER of Westchester (White Plains), Thomas H. Slater Community Center (White Plains), Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc. (Elmsford), Westhab Inc. (Yonkers), The Children's Village, Inc. (Yonkers), Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church (Mount Vernon), Theodore D. Young Community Center (White Plains), and the Westchester County Youth Bureau.
For more information on the Westchester Summer Jobs Program, please contact Mark Kessler at (914) 948-2110 x312, by email at , or visit www.WestchesterSummerJobs.com .