Orlando Summer Youth Employment Program

Orlando's Summer Youth Employment Program is a government partnership with CareerSource Central Florida, together they offer 15-19-year-olds a chance at employment at local business establishments. 

This year the program aims to employ more than 300 teens, for which they have opened applications for teens all across the city and not just in Orlando's children's zones. The jobs provide an hourly salary along with career readiness and financial literacy training. Mayor Buddy Dyer said "More importantly it gives them a sense of having a work ethic and responsibility and commitment and learning to show up on time and do a task and do it well because I always tell people, whatever job you have, no matter how menial it may seem, it gives you an opportunity to do something well. And people may notice you doing something well and give you that next opportunity after the first opportunity."

Talking about more employers signing up for the program, Commissioner Regina Hill said "It could b an individual photographer or videographer that might need some youth to intern, and what our hope is to match these kids up with their career paths. So we're going to be as we speak with the youth throughout the city of Orlando, each one of the districts has job fairs that are going on to find to what it is that they want to do in the future."

Source: WMFE