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Summer youth job program may end
YOUNGSTOWN
The summer employment program for young people from low-income families is scheduled to end this month and not resume next year under plans developed by the administration of Gov. John Kasich, but the administration may be reconsidering that move.
The governor’s administration has said it plans to replace the summer effort with a year-round job-readiness program, known as the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program.
But a Mahoning County program administrator said Monday the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is reconsidering after lobbying efforts by major cities with large numbers of young summer workers and by the Ohio JFS Directors’ Association, which represents county JFS departments.
“Now, there’s discussion with the state about continuing the summer youth program because a lot of the areas [of the state] are saying it’s a valuable program,” said Bert Cene, director of the Workforce Development Board of Mahoning and Columbiana Counties.
“The state right now, from ODJFS’ perspective, is revisiting that to see if they can keep both of them going,” he added.
“They may run a smaller [summer] program. I don’t know,” Cene said.
The Kasich administration redirected the $45 million summer youth employment program budget to the new year-round, statewide CCMEP, which will have a $100 million annual budget.
“We are focused on the successful implementation of our new, year-round youth employment program. We will evaluate it and continue to engage our local partners as we look for additional ways to support our young people going forward,” Jon Keeling, ODJFS communication director, said in response to a Vindicator inquiry based on Cene’s comments.
The federally funded, state-administered summer program the Kasich administration proposed eliminating has provided paid job experience for an average of more than 200 young Mahoning County residents each year at worksites, which include the city street and park departments and county engineer’s and dog warden’s offices.
With the Mahoning County JFS having determined applicant eligibility, the local Workforce Development Board administered the program this summer under a $950,000 agreement with the county commissioners.
This summer, some 250 county workers between age 17 and 24 have been earning $9 an hour in the eight-week program at government and private business worksites, with their wages paid from federal funds.
State Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, has voiced his support for retaining the summer youth employment program under state sponsorship.
With the state Legislature having cut funding to local governments, “Our counties certainly can’t finance these important programs with their own funds,” Boccieri said.
“Some of these kids will be left with nothing to do next summer when they could be gaining work experience and making an income,” he said.
“This is so crazy. Now, we are not going to help young people” with summer employment, said Carol Rimedio-Righetti, chairwoman of the Mahoning County commissioners.
“They can see how it is to go to work in the morning” and receive wages that help them pay for food, clothing and education, she said of youths in summer employment. “It changes their whole demeanor, and stimulates responsibility and positive thinking.”
She added that if the state defunds the summer youth employment program, Mahoning County can’t afford to pay for it with its own funds.
Robert E. Bush Jr., county JFS director, said he would like to keep the summer youth job program.
“It’s in excess of $900,000 being funneled to the local community. It gives a basic job experience. You’ve got to be somewhere at a certain time,” he said of the value of the summer job program for local youths.
In addition, public agencies benefit from young summer workers, who perform tasks for them, including grass-cutting and litter pickup, he added.
“It helps the economy. We’re putting some dollars into young people’s pockets, which helps them. It helps their families. It also helps provide some work ethic to the young people” and builds their resumes, Cene said.
The county has had the summer program in its present form for five years, but the program’s roots at the federal level go back to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973.
If funding would allow it, Bush said he’d like to have both a summer youth employment program, which provides immediate job experience and wages, together with the state’s new CCMEP, which requires a longer-term commitment to job readiness and financial independence.
The new program “provides the education and training supports to ensure that more low-income young people have the skills to not only get a job, but be positioned for long-term success,” Keeling said.