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The deadline to apply for New York City’s Summer Youth Employment program will be extended by two weeks to March 14, city officials said Friday.
The program, open to any young person between 14 and 24 in New York City, sets up participants with paid summer jobs across a range of industries. Students who are 14 and 15 get a stipend for the summer, while older participants are paid minimum wage. The jobs typically last for six weeks.
Youth can apply through the city’s website or a participating community-based organization. Aside from the age limits, requirements for the program are living in the five boroughs and being eligible to legally work in the United States.
This year, 100,000 slots are available, part of a 2022 expansion of the program under Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has argued that the program can help keep youth violence in check during the summer months, in addition to offering economic and educational opportunities for young people.
Last summer, more than 97,000 young people participated — a record number, according to the most recent Mayor’s Management Report. The city’s Youth and Community Development Department, which administers the program, began more closely tracking which participants didn’t show up to their jobs or complete program requirements in order to open those to others, the report said. A spokesperson from the department said other city agencies filled the remaining 3,000 slots.
Overall, the program distributed roughly $140 million in wages and stipends last year, according to the city documents.
Thousands of job sites in industries like fashion, philanthropy, advertising and law hosted SYEP participants last year, according to the Youth and Community Development Department.
Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Michael at melsen-rooney@chalkbeat.org.
