City, partners employing area youth

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber and city officials stand with some of the youth working in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. PHOTO BY SHANDERIA K. POSEY

By Shanderia K. Posey

Editor

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber and city officials stand with some of the youth working in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. PHOTO BY SHANDERIA K. POSEY
Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber and city officials stand with some of the youth working in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. PHOTO BY SHANDERIA K. POSEY

The city of Jackson along with private sector partners are putting more than 700 area youth ages 16-24 to work as the Summer Youth Employment Program officially kicked off last week.

Mayor Tony T. Yarber and the Department of Human Cultural Services’ Family and Youth Division made the announcement June 2.

The city is employing 300 youth, while about 30 private sector partners/businesses are employing another 425.

“The Summer Youth Employment Program is alive and well,” Yarber said. Reports from earlier in the year indicated the program might get eliminated due to budget issues, but employing youth remained a priority for the city the mayor said. He also acknowledged the beneficial role of businesses. “The private sector was definitely able to come through and be a major savior for this program.” To employ more youth, the city would like for an additional 30 private sector businesses to get involved.

The program is a component of the city’s I Need You To Make It –  a youth initiative ensuring that youth are employable in the city.

“This is more than just a job program,” said Greg Riley, manager of the Family and Youth Division. “We do character development for young people during the summer months. We do financial literacy with them.”

Youth are working a wide-range of jobs, including within city of Jackson departments. Some will work in the mayor’s office doing statistical analysis of the data program. Riley noted that job opportunities run the gamut of industries including fast-food, construction, engineering and more. “When kids come to us, we try to get them close to their interests,” Riley said. The strategy better ensures youth don’t get bored on the job and are more productive.

Charity Bruce, 20, is working in the city’s Communications Department learning about journalism, writing and public relations. She is an English major at Tougaloo College.

“It’s intense but it’s really helping,” said Bruce. She expressed her gratefulness for the program, which she described as giving youth something positive to do for the summer.

Peyton Brown, 16, a junior at Terry High School, is working at the Department of Human Cultural Services building filing paperwork and assisting with other tasks. This is his first job ever, and he wants to finish the program with a better mindset on working.

“I think it’s (the program) important because it keeps us out of trouble and off the streets and out of crime. It’s very well needed in the city of Jackson,” Brown said. Without the program, Brown said he’d probably be at home doing nothing.

Slots are still available for youth to get involved. The Jackson Police Department and the Jackson Fire Department have openings for their respective mentoring programs.

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