City announces Chicago youth jobs
Posted on April 21, 2015
Thousands of Chicago youth jobs will be available through the city as part of a new initiative.
One Summer Chicago program will expand to provide summer job and internship opportunities for 24,000 youth ages 14 to 24 in neighborhoods across Chicago.
Since One Summer Chicago was launched in 2011, Mayor Emanuel has steadily increased the number of available opportunities to keep youth safe and engaged each summer. Since the program began, nearly 75,000 youth have gained valuable job training and work experience.
In partnership with the Office of the Treasurer, One Summer Chicago will also set young people on a path towards lifelong positive money management. Youth will participate in a web-based financial education curriculum and receive a certificate of completion after studying banking, responsible money choices, income and careers, budgeting, savings and investing. Delegate agencies will connect young people to financial institutions in their neighborhood prior to the program launch to promote the use of savings and checking accounts and direct deposit.
In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of New Americans, DFSS will be contracting with qualified organizations working on behalf of immigrant communities to provide youth, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiaries, with the training and opportunity to better engage and educate immigrant families and communities about President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
“One Summer Chicago opens a doorway of opportunity that leads to a better set of choices today and a brighter future for our children tomorrow,” said Mayor Emanuel. “The summer months are when our youth need us the most, which is why we now have the largest summer jobs program in Chicago’s history, serving young people from neighborhoods all throughout our city. It will give them a paycheck but also a set of values to help them reach their full potential.”
“One Summer Chicago presents the perfect opportunity to set Chicago’s teens on a path towards financial empowerment,” said Treasurer Kurt Summers. “Because many of our City’s youth are entering the workforce for the first time, it is important that we connect them with education and safe products while they are building responsible financial habits that will last a lifetime.”