NYC summer season jobs program: Find out how to apply for one in all its 100,000 slots — science weblog

This story was up to date to mirror the brand new deadline.

New York Metropolis prolonged the deadline for its Summer season Youth Employment Program, or SYEP, which supplies paid jobs and profession exploration applications for younger folks ages 14-24. 

Younger folks have till April 14 to use, officers introduced Friday.

This yr marks the $236 million program’s sixtieth yr and can once more be open to 100,000 younger folks – making it the most important public youth jobs program within the nation. This system will run between July 5 to Aug. 12 and from July 12 to Aug. 19. 

One new characteristic this yr is an effort to pair LGBTQ youth with affirming jobs, although specifics are scarce. Officers stated they’re nonetheless engaged on the small print primarily based on how a lot curiosity they get, which might be marked on the appliance. 

Metropolis officers additionally plan to almost triple the variety of slots for a small program that gives paid alternatives for youth who’re undocumented. 

How do I apply?

Youth can apply on-line right here. 

The kinds of programming and pay depends upon the participant’s age. Dozens of community-based organizations oversee programming and discover work websites which might be prepared to host youth employees. 

What sorts of alternatives can be found?

Youthful youth, who’re 14 to fifteen years previous, spend 12.5 hours per week gaining work readiness abilities and studying about completely different careers. In addition they take part in project-based studying, which regularly includes discovering an issue within the surrounding group and creating options. These teenagers are paid as much as $700.

Youth ages 16 to 24 are paired with jobs by one in all dozens of community-based organizations. These organizations line up work websites, similar to retailers or native companies, which might be prepared to host youth employees for the summer season. These younger persons are paid the town’s minimal wage charge of $15 an hour and work 25 hours per week – which means they’ll make as much as $2,250 by the tip of this system. 

Work websites vary between public, non-public, and nonprofit organizations. Final yr, a majority of jobs – 45% – had been within the nonprofit sector. Personal jobs had been mostly in retail, adopted by day cares and camps, hospitality, tourism and well being care, in accordance to a report on final yr’s jobs program revealed by the Division of Youth and Neighborhood Improvement, or DYCD, which oversees SYEP. Different alternatives included jobs in media and leisure, enterprise and finance, arts and recreation, actual property and expertise. 

Within the public sector, about 4,600 youth labored final yr for the training division, similar to working with employees, at school kitchens, and in upkeep. Within the public sector, almost 4,000 youth final yr labored for metropolis companies or mayoral places of work. Practically 120 youth labored for Metropolis Council members. 

Candidates are requested to listing their high three profession selections and the supplier they wish to work with.

Am I assured a spot?

No. This system has 100,000 open slots, however functions sometimes exceed that quantity. DYCD has acquired greater than 126,000 functions to this point, in keeping with an company spokesperson. Final yr, the company acquired roughly 167,000 functions.

As soon as functions are submitted, youth are chosen by a lottery system. 

Nevertheless, some younger individuals who is perhaps dealing with sure boundaries to employment don’t should undergo the lottery system and might be straight referred to the roles program by a metropolis company they’re working with. This consists of youth who’re homeless, in or getting old out of foster care, are concerned with the courtroom system, and in households which might be receiving preventative companies by the town’s Administration for Youngsters’s Providers, similar to help for psychological well being wants, substance abuse, and home violence.

Similar to different younger folks, these youth additionally take part in both profession readiness applications or are paired with jobs by a program referred to as SYEP Rising Leaders.

I’m undocumented. Am I eligible for this program?

Typically, no. This system is just open to New York Metropolis youth who’re legally eligible to work in the US — a difficulty that has induced some advocates and lawmakers to push for extra alternatives for undocumented immigrant youth. As of 2019, 77,000 undocumented youth ages 16-24 lived in New York Metropolis, in keeping with estimates from the Migration Coverage Institute. 

Nevertheless, a fraction of undocumented youth could have entry to a small DYCD program this summer season. Final yr, the town company quietly supplied stipends to 282 excessive schoolers who “face obstacles” in making use of to SYEP. This system, referred to as SYEP Pathways, supplied as much as 60 hours of a paid work readiness and project-based studying program for college kids attending a handful of faculties that already supplied CareerReady, which is a year-round program that helps college students achieve profession readiness abilities. 

This yr, officers are hoping to develop that program to 750 kids. Neighborhood organizations straight recruit youth for this program.

Due to federal laws that restrict how a lot you’ll be able to pay somebody with out work authorization, college students who participated on this small pilot had been paid $552. Officers didn’t instantly clarify how college students can join this summer season.

Youngsters’s Support was one group that oversaw programming for 25 teenagers in final yr’s pilot program. They developed tasks, “listened to displays from quite a lot of professions, went on academic journeys, and offered what they realized on the finish of the summer season,” stated Sandino Sanchez, director of workforce improvement applications at Youngsters’s Support, in a press release. 

Whereas advocates have praised DYCD for providing some type of alternative for undocumented younger folks, they’ve additionally raised issues that the pay is inequitable in contrast with different youth collaborating in SYEP. However there is perhaps different, non-public choices for undocumented youth the place they’ll obtain extra money. 

For instance, a corporation referred to as Oyate plans to pair 60 undocumented youth this summer season with jobs at native school campuses, stated Lymarie Francisco, a challenge supervisor on the group who works with younger folks. These youth will get $500 Visa reward playing cards every week.

Oyate acquired 312 functions for this system, prompting them to just lately shut the appliance, in keeping with group officers. 

Eilen, a 15-year-old lady who participated in Oyate’s inaugural jobs program final yr, stated her job at Fordham College helped her turn out to be extra disciplined about forming a day by day routine. Moreover, the $500 reward playing cards allowed Eilen — who moved to New York Metropolis from the Dominican Republic two years in the past — to assist purchase issues round the home as her mom ready to maneuver them to a brand new dwelling. She was additionally capable of purchase a brand new cellular phone and pay for a gymnasium membership. 

“I didn’t should ask my mother for something,” she stated in Spanish.

Reema Amin is a reporter masking New York Metropolis public faculties. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.