BALTIMORE — For the 51st year, Baltimore City's YouthWorks program will connect thousands of young people with summer job opportunities, in the city and even beyond.
More than 7,000 local youth have started their applications this year, and the city's reminding them that they must fully complete - not just start them - their applications by March 22 in order to get a spot.
The program runs from July 8 through Aug. 9 this year and is open to teens and young adults ages 14 to 21. YouthWorks pays the state minimum wage of $15 an hour, and participants can work up to 25 hours a week.
There will be hundreds of employers available, in a variety of industries, from government to hospitality management to healthcare facilities.
Major employers who work with the city to hire a lot of youth include Johns Hopkins, Martin's West, and the Orioles. There's also Code in the Schools, for young people interested in robotics and technology.
Donnice E. Brown, assistant director of Youth Services for the Mayor's Office of Employment Development, said:
All of these people are able to provide valuable work experiences for our youth in Baltimore City, whether it's time management, communication skills, or how to interact with people.
The city tries to place youth in their ZIP codes, but also partners with MTA so they can use a bus card to get to work if a job site is farther away.
The city also pays for youth to go to summer school, if they register for credit recovery - so they don't have to choose between attending summer school and having a summer job.
Brown said the mayor's office is continuing to look for employers as well. Employers can go to the YouthWorks website to register as a work site, and businesses with five or fewer employees can get a special deal to have the city pay the salary of a young person to work for them.
