Pittsburgh, PA – Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order today announcing the creation of a Mayoral Task Force on Summer Youth Employment Opportunities in order to assess the City of Pittsburgh's Summer Youth Employment Program. The task force will be charged with presenting concrete recommendations and an action plan for expanding access and improving the quality and diversity of placement opportunities.
"I want to ensure that every young person in the City of Pittsburgh who wants to has both the opportunity for meaningful career development and the ability to earn a little extra money through this program,” said Mayor Peduto. “Through this Task Force, I will engage the business community, labor, nonprofits, foundations, and partners at the national level to help us reimagine this program to serve more young people and provide a clear pathway to their future success.”
Currently the Summer Youth Employment Program serves approximately 400 young people out of nearly 1,000 who apply. Cities across the country have successfully engaged their corporate and philanthropic communities and the federal government in expanding similar programs and offer the option for specialized training in high-tech STEM jobs as well as vocational and office work.
The recommendations and action plan devised by the Task Force will be submitted to Mayor Peduto no later than April 30, 2014 so that the administration can review and begin implementing them this year.
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