Summer Youth Work Opportunities

Registration for the 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program through Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) is now open.  The program matches Cuyahoga County teenagers, ages 14-18, to meaningful summer work experiences in the public, non-profit, and for-profit sectors.

Y.O.U. manages the largest array of employment opportunities for youth in Cuyahoga County, including part-time and summer jobs and internship experiences.

Y.O.U.’s Summer Youth Employment Program provides youth with a meaningful summer work experience, a connection to caring adults, and introduces skills necessary for lifelong earning. Y.O.U matches anywhere from 700 to 3,500 youth to summer employment opportunities depending on funding available to us through foundation, city, county, state and federal dollars.

Youth wishing to participate in the 2015 Summer Youth Employment Program, must register online at jobs.youthopportunities.org. Registration will open at 9:00am on Monday, Feb. 2 and closes at 5:00pm on Friday, May 1, 2015. In 2014, nearly 15,000 youth registered to work through our online registration process; Y.O.U. employed 3,127 teens who earned $3.31 million in wages.

Youth are selected at random based upon registration numbers in their area to attend an eligibility determination session. Eligible youth must successfully complete an orientation session, employment and tax paperwork, and be matched to a job before being hired into the program. Depending on the number of available jobs and funding, some eligible youth may be placed upon a waiting list.

Summer employment means much more than a paycheck for the youth in our programs: employment provides teens with a safe constructive summer experience; it deters them from getting into or causing trouble; it allows teens to learn firsthand about the workplace and to develop skills and experience; it often helps teens explore careers and identify personal career goals; and it provides opportunities for mentoring and future employment.

Y.O.U. is a youth workforce development organization that empowers at-risk youth to succeed in school, in the workplace, and in life. Y.O.U. was founded in December 1982 as a nonprofit to provide Cleveland teens with their first paid summer job. Today, Y.O.U offers in-school and after-school employability and entrepreneurship skill training, and high school graduation mentoring. Since our founding, Y.O.U. has served over 150,000 youth.

For more information, please visit: www.youthopportunities.org

PLEASE NOTE: Local businesses are also encouraged to support the program by registering at www.youthopportunities.org. For additional details, please call Kathy Hall, the Parma area MyCom Project Coordinator, at 440.842.7043.