Small Business Today Magazine MAR 2015 IMPACT STONE DESIGN | Page 16
EDITORIALFEATURE
The City of Houston Receives National
Recognition for Its Summer Jobs Program
By Annise D. Parker, Mayor of the City of Houston
S
ix months after a crowd of staff and interns
involved in the City of Houston’s Summer
Jobs Program (SJP) gathered at Moody Park
to celebrate the culmination of months of
hard work with an end of summer graduation ceremony, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM)
recognized Houston as the National Summer
Youth Jobs Challenge Large City award recipient. I was able to personally accept the award
on behalf of the City of Houston at the USCM’s
83rd Annual Winter Meeting Plenary Breakfast in
Washington, D.C.
The USCM National Summer Youth Jobs Challenge is a program that urges mayors from across
the nation to create innovative and long-lasting
partnerships with local businesses and organizations with the hopes of ensuring our youth have
a meaningful summer job experience. This past
year, the City of Houston launched its SJP, opening
its doors to more than 450 youth in the Houston area, ages 16 to 21, to participate in a unique
summer internship opportunity that placed participants in 14 City departments in more than
140 worksites across the city. The program was
initiated by a $1.5 million commitment from City
Council to establish a youth summer employment initiative and was administered through a
partnership with the Houston-Galveston Area
Council, Workforce Solutions, SER-Jobs for Progress, Houston Area Urban League, METRO, and
community volunteers.
To participate in the SJP, Houston area youth
had to complete a thorough application and go
through a multilevel, structured interview process.
Once selected, interns were required to complete a 40-hour job readiness training workshop
at the George R. Brown Convention Center that
covered topics ranging from financial literacy and
work etiquette to the importance of diversity and
communication in the workplace. As a result of
the program, 130 youth opened new bank accounts.
14 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ MARCH 2015 ]
The USCM National Summer
Youth Jobs Challenge is a
program ] \