By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
March 11, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — As many as 1,500 area youth could have jobs this summer thanks to a program lead by Missouri’s governor.

Gov. Jay Nixon paid a visit to the Full Employment Council Youth Career Center last week, to present more information on the Summer Job League, a workforce development program that will connect low-income youth with area businesses this summer. The program, lead by the Missouri Office of Community Engagement, hopes to enroll 1,500 youth, between the ages of 16 and 24, from the Kansas City area. Nixon hopes the summer job program will provide an opportunity for Kansas City’s youth to explore careers and gain work experience.

So far, 66 Kansas City area businesses have signed up and will be offering work this summer to area youth. The program connects youth based on interest and skill. Organizations like Magna Seating, thinkBIG, Kansas City Power and Light and Research Medical Center are offering a variety of positions that will expose youth to STEM-related occupations and assignments including web designing, patient care, and engineering. Other industries involved include, financial services, health care, business, bioscience and customer service.

The program could pay youth as much as eight dollars an hour for a maximum of 240 hours during the summer employment period. Youth participating in the league will also be enrolled in accelerated work-readiness training at area career centers, where they will learn soft skills and be matched with a business operating in a field of their interest.

“You’re first job isn’t always glamorous, but you learn the basic skills necessary to carry you through life,” Nixon said.

Youth eligibility is largely determined by household income. Candidates must reside in the Greater Kansas City area and be living at or below the 185 percent federal poverty level.

Maida Coleman, director of the Missouri Office of Community Engagement, said with this program, the city and state are trying to create a pipeline of young work-ready youth.

“This is an excellent way for businesses to support their communities as well as connect with the faces of our future workforce,” Coleman said.

The Summer Job League builds on the success of programs such as the State Park Youth Corps, which provides summer employment for young people in state and local parks. Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders thanked Nixon for his leadership in this effort and his commitment to building a brighter future for the youth in the county.

“The Summer Job League will be an outstanding resource for young people and businesses in Jackson County,” Sander said.

Funding for the initiative comes from federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. Due to improving economic conditions and additional job growth, extra funding available through the TANF program is being used to provide services for young Missourians. Support for the program will also be provided through federal Workforce Investment Act and Community Development Block Grant funds.

Jim Heeter, President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, said the businesses that have signed up are excited about this opportunity. Along with the Mayor’s Bright Future Summer Employment program, Heeter added Kansas City is able to bring the public and private sectors together to move the region forward.