New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Bill Chong today announced that applications are open for the 2017 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from Monday, February 6 through Friday, March 17, 2017. The application process was launched earlier this year to give New Yorkers additional time to plan for summer. Participants are selected by lottery for the program, which runs from July 5 through August 19.
SYEP is the nation’s largest summer youth employment initiative, and since 1963 has provided New York City young people between the ages of 14 and 24 with up to six weeks of entry-level experience at worksites in all five boroughs. Last summer, a record 60,113 participants were employed at more than 10,000 worksites. With the support of the Center for Youth Employment, the City more than doubled the number of Ladders for Leaders internships (1,538) and opportunities for young people who are homeless, court-involved or in foster care (3,050).
SYEP participants are compensated for their work at diverse worksites that include government agencies, hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises, and retail. Specialized programming for disabled, foster care, runaway/homeless and court-involved young people are also available. SYEP offers workshops on job readiness, career exploration, and financial literacy, and opportunities to continue education and social growth. Ladders for Leaders is an employer-paid internship component of SYEP for youth aged 16-22.
Studies show that SYEP improves school attendance, offers new skills, reduces incarceration rates and keeps teens and young adults safe—including youth who wouldn’t otherwise have access to paying jobs.
Applications can be completed online or at a participating community-based organization during the application period. Online applications are available at the DYCD website (www.nyc.gov/dycd). Updates will also be posted to DYCD’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. For more information, call 311 or DYCD Youth Connect (1-800-246-4646).
Employers and worksites looking to support New York City’s youth employment programs, including SYEP, should go to the Center for Youth Employment’s website (www.nyc.gov/cye). Interested employers can also email the Mayor’s Fund at fund@cityhall.nyc.gov for details.
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