Pilot Program Will Create Summer Jobs For Youth In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A state program will soon create summer jobs for low-income youth in Essex County and six other counties across New Jersey.

Last month, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously approved a budget insertion of $192,000 from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The funds are part of the state’s $2 million pilot initiative, dubbed the “Summer Youth Employment Pilot Program” (SYEPP).

The SYEPP will roll out across “high unemployment areas” in Newark and seven New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Mercer, Passaic and Union. The areas were selected for the pilot program based on the combined criteria of high rates of youth poverty, youth unemployment and “justice-involved youth,” state officials said.

It will be open to youth ages 16 to 24, and offer about 760 participants jobs that total from 20 to 30 hours per week. The jobs will pay $10.50 per hour, officials said.

In addition to a paycheck, participants in the program also get training on financial literacy, resume-building, entrepreneurship skills, diversity training and prevention of workplace harassment training.

Supporters of the pilot program hope that it will help to mitigate youth poverty, unemployment, and crime rates by providing young New Jersey residents with a successful transition to the workforce.

SYEPP funding is provided through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

“This program will provide our youth with opportunities to make money, but also acquire the skills that will prepare them to compete for jobs in careers they may have never considered previously,” Essex County Freeholder President Brendan Gill said.

“Career development is an often-overlooked aspect of summer employment,” Gill added. “We are happy that this feature will be a major part of the program.”

• See related article: NJ's 'Free Tuition' Program Is A Big Hit At Essex County College

According to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, any employer or youth interested in the program should contact their local participating Workforce Development Board via the information below.

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