Mayor Announces Plans for Summer Employment, Education Program

YouthWorks Indy to Provide Education Stipends, Paid Work Experience for up to 600 Marion County Residents

INDIANAPOLIS – City of Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard today announced a summer jobs and educational program for up to 600 Marion County youth.

The YouthWorks Indy (YWI) summer enrichment program will operate from June through September 2010 and will provide education, work readiness and work experience opportunities for in-school and out-of-school youth and young adults. In its second year, the program is available to residents of Marion County who are ages 16-24, enrolled in high school, a high school graduate or equivalent, or out of school seeking a GED.

The Indianapolis Private Industry Council (IPIC) will manage the $2.8 million program using federal stimulus and workforce investment funds designated for employment and training.

“YouthWorks Indy creates opportunities that provide participants with a paycheck while offering them on-the-job training and instructional classes,” Mayor Ballard said. “This program helps close education gaps that can become barriers to future job and college options for our youth.”

The program focuses on the three areas of education, employment, and work readiness. It provides opportunities for 420 youth enrolled in high school and 170 youth who are out of school seeking a GED or careers in information technology. Some of the 420 in-school youth will participate in a program track in high growth sectors like health care and STEM fields.

“We are excited to expand the successful aspects of last year’s summer enrichment program for local youth,” said Brooke Huntington, President and CEO of IPIC. “This unique combination of work and educational credentials will maximize the opportunity for long-term success among participants by putting the youth on track to receive specific educational credentials to ensure long-term education and job prospects.”

Improvements made to last year’s program include more effective scheduling of work days and instructional classes, an increase in the number of teachers and mentors working with youth, and financial incentives for program completion, Huntington said.

Part of the participants’ time will be spent in the classroom and part gaining work experience at local companies and organizations. The program will provide an hourly wage for work of $8.50, up to $170 per week, and a stipend of $50 per educational session, up to $250 per week, to cover transportation and meals. Additional financial incentives will be awarded for program completion.

Online applications will be available at www.ipic.org and www.youthworksindy.org beginning April 19, 2010. Participants must complete the online application and bring all required eligibility documents for enrollment listed on the Web sites to intake sessions scheduled with the education/training providers the week of May 3. Priority of selection will be given to veterans (past or present), fall 2010 enrolling Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) participants, Youth Employment Services (YES) participants and current WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker or Youth participants. Participants are scheduled to be selected no later than May 14.

Program Highlights for In-School Students

Indianapolis Public Schools will assist up to 240 in-school students by offering remedial and for-credit classes in English and Language Arts at Washington and Broad Ripple high schools. Students will attend classes for three weeks and be placed at a job site for three weeks, in addition to participating in a one-week job readiness training course. In 2009, IPS participated in the YouthWorks Indy program and this year increased the number of teachers-to-student ratio.

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School will assist 60 in-school youth who are enrolled in the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program by offering remedial and for-credit instruction in Algebra II, Geometry, and English II. Students will receive work-readiness training and be placed in summer job assignments.

Metropolitan Indianapolis Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (MICI-AHEC) will assist 60 youth by offering training and certifications in CPR, first aid, and Health Insurance and Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) and place students in jobs at medical/health care sites. This component achieved 100 percent completion rate in 2009 and is being expanded this year.

STEM Club at IUPUI will assist 60 juniors and seniors by offering an organizational behavior class equivalent to three college credits and exposure to STEM-related occupations.

Program Highlights for Out-of-School Youth

MSD Washington Township will work with Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana to assist 140 out-of-school youth working toward a GED. Participants will receive 160 hours of instruction at community and continuing education sites, after which they may take the GED test. They will be placed in job assignments and receive work-readiness training.

IA Services will assist 30 out-of-school youth in technical training, offering certifications in print/copier maintenance, fiber installation, and an A+ certificate. Participants will receive work readiness training and be placed in IT-related jobs in local firms for on-the-job experience.