Today the summer sun shined a little brighter on LA's youth, as I stood with young Angelenos from across our City to announce that HIRE LA will put over 10,000 young people to work this summer. That's 10,000 youth who will be given a summer job and a step towards a lifetime of employment.
Time and time again, we say that our youth are the future. But right now in Los Angeles, one in every five young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are out of school and out of work. That's thousands of young people without the network of contacts or work experience to lead them to a brighter future. They are the reason we must stay committed to hiring LA's youth, and ensure these young men and women are put on track to a steady paycheck and a bright future.
Working with local businesses and community based organizations, we have created Hire LA's Youth, a program that enables our City's young men and women to gain the skills and experience they need for success in the work world. And since 2006, over 46,000 youth have participated in the Hire LA's Youth program.
So far this summer, 6,000 young people have registered to work and there's still room for eligible youth to apply. If you are receiving Calworks or food stamps, live in the City of Los Angeles and have the right to work, YOU ARE ELIGIBILE.
If you are interested, all you need to do is call 311 or log on to www.hirelayouth.com to find the nearest summer youth job opportunity.
But this campaign is not just an opportunity for our youth. It's also an opportunity for LA businesses to make a commitment to our youth and our City. Businesses like Wells Fargo who donated $125,000 to Hire LA's Youth program and Kaiser Permanente, the largest employer this summer with over 400 Hire LA youth participants.
If you're an employer and interested in participating as a summer worksite, visit www.HireLAYouth.com to learn more and sign up.
Hire LA's Youth Program is reducing the number of out-of-work young adults and creating a pool of well qualified workers. Working together, let's continue to create fulfilling summer employment for our youth and build long-term success for our local economy.