City's 2018 Summer Youth Employment Program Provides 75,000 Youth with Jobs and Internships

The city initiative offers paid summer employment for up to six weeks in July and August to teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24.

The 2018 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is expected to provide jobs for up to 75,000 young New Yorkers, announced Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong on Wednesday. SYEP offers paid summer employment for up to six weeks in July and August to teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24.

"We are leveraging the resources of the city to ensure young people can obtain real-world job training, explore career interests and have a productive summer," said de Blasio. "When we invest in our city's kids, we invest in our future."

In 2015, the city launched the Center for Youth Employment to expand opportunities for young New Yorkers to gain skills and work experiences, and to explore potential career interests. The center works with 60 philanthropic partners and the private sector to help expand the city's employment services for young New Yorkers, including SYEP which launched in 1963 and which is the nation's largest summer youth employment initiative, according to a statement by the mayor's office.

SYEP participants work in a variety of industries including arts and recreation, educational services, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, information technology, manufacturing, financial services, real estate, marketing and public relations. SYEP also provides workshops on job readiness, financial literacy and opportunities to continue education and social growth.

"Summer internships provide our young people with a great way to get involved in their communities, learn new skills and get onto the career ladder. The program has provided a substantial number of workplace opportunities for Brooklyn's youth," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. "It is critical that we continue to pave new pathways for our city's next generation of leaders."

To learn more about initiatives and resources provided by the Center for Youth Employment, go here.