Chafee announces $2.1M for summer youth jobs programs

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee on Tuesday announced $2.1 million in funding under the Governor’s Workforce Board and the R.I. Department of Human Services for youth summer employment programs.
Beginning in July, more than 20 community-based organizations throughout the state – in industries including information technology, health care, hospitality, arts, marine trades, construction and manufacturing – will offer work experience and work-readiness training for approximately 1,400 youth between the ages of 14 and 24.
“We recognize the importance of providing real work experience to the next generation of our labor force,” said Chafee in a statement. “Through these summer jobs, Rhode Island youth learn hands-on technical skills, workplace expectations and financial responsibility habits that could not only launch them into a successful career path but also a successful life.”
The 2014 Summer Youth Work Experience Program is funded with $1.5 million in Governor’s Workforce Board Job Development Fund dollars and $600,000 in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding allocated by the Department of Human Services. Families must meet federal income guidelines to qualify for the 349 TANF-funded youth job opportunities, but there are no income requirements for the 991 state-funded opportunities.
Eligible youth may apply for the summer employment program through YouthWorks411, a system of 14 youth workforce development centers throughout Rhode Island. Most programs will run for 20 hours per week for six weeks, during which participants will earn minimum wage. The state’s two local investment boards, the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island and Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston, will oversee the programs.
For more information about specific employment opportunities, visit www.ri.gov.

No posts to display