150+ Teens, Young Adults Participate In Howard County's Summer Youth Program

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — More than 150 teenagers and young adults participated in Howard County's 6-week Summer Youth Program, which ended last week. The Office of Workforce Development paid program focuses on teaching youth valuable job readiness skills and career exploration with local business partners.

“Our Summer Youth Program is a model for other communities on how to empower, train, prepare and upskill our young residents who are looking to join the workforce,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “These young adults had the chance to learn key skills and gain a better understanding of the different career paths they may pursue. It’s critical that we support growth and hands-on experience for our future workforce and next generation to become their best selves.”

The Summer Youth Program has grown considerably in recent years, increasing from an average of 11 participants during the summer of 2018 to more than 82 in 2021. In 2020, Ball launched a virtual option for the Summer Youth Program to reach more young residents amid the pandemic.

This summer, out of the 151 participants, an estimated 50 were on site daily at 16 different locations, including Howard County government departments and private companies. An estimated 100 youth participated in virtual job shadowing, career readiness and employment preparation, which included a workshop each Friday to practice interviewing skills, mediation and conflict resolution, financial preparedness and online safety.

“The youth in our summer program are the pipeline for our future workforce,” Howard County Office of Workforce Development Director Francine Trout said. “This program provides the opportunity for young people to learn appropriate workplace behaviors as well as what careers may interest them. Just as importantly, they can experience what they do not want to do professionally. Our goal is that they use what they learn for their future.”