DOL Releases Report on Youth Summer Jobs Initiative
The U.S. Department of Labor has recently released a report on the Youth Summer Jobs Initiative. According to this report, the 2009 Recovery Act Youth Summer Jobs Initiative has been claimed successful in terms of connecting young workers with employment experiences.
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis stated the summer youth employment initiative was advantageous. She was of the opinion that this youth employment initiative not only gave real work experience to youngsters and helped working families struggling during tough times, but also provided employers with a way to repay their communities. She also stated that the report portrayed that the summer youth employment initiative could make meaningful work experiences a reality for young people, at the same time providing valuable tips to build on the success of the Youth Summer Jobs Initiative in 2010.
The report was originally funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and developed by the Mathematica Policy Research and titled as “Reinvesting in America’s Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative.” The monthly performance data submitted by states to the department’s Employment and Training Administration were analyzed in this report. The experiences of 20 select local areas were closely monitored and taken into account.
The report brought out many findings. It claimed that summer jobs were easily attainable by the youths and 13 percent of these enrollees even got placed in work experience outside summer months. It was also found that sixty-three percent of the participants were in school and were 18 years or younger. Local areas reported that a measurable increase in work readiness skills was achieved by 75 percent of youths while participating. Data also showed that greater than 82 percent of the summer work was completed.
In addition, the report also found that the employers interviewed for the study were positive about the initiative. The employers reported that the experience of mentoring a new employee was a worthwhile experience and all the employers agreed that they would participate again if given the opportunity.