Put city youths to work

By Sharmain Matlock-Turner,

Greg Redden,

and Jeffrey Brown

What do a teenage peach picker, a retail clerk, and a grocery-store attendant all have in common? Each had a memorable first job experience that provided the stepping stones to future success.

Today that peach picker is the president and CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition. That retail clerk is Wells Fargo region president for Greater Philadelphia and Delaware. The grocery-store attendant is the president and CEO of Brown's Super Store Inc.

While we had first jobs to instill a work ethic and career exposure, economic forecasts predict that not enough young people will be afforded the opportunity to have a summer job in 2014. In fact, we are facing a summer jobs crisis.

Last year, more than 18,000 youths applied to WorkReady, Philadelphia's youth workforce development system, but only 7,600 were served. This year, funding for slightly more than 4,000 summer jobs is available.

If our city does not unite in action, we are at risk of having the lowest number of summer jobs for young people since 2003. An additional $6 million is needed or else we face a 47 percent decline in youths served from last year. Collaboration is critical when it comes to raising those additional dollars. It takes a city-wide, shared effort of businesses, nonprofits, government, foundations, and individuals to provide career-exploration and workforce-training opportunities for youths.

How can you help?

The answer is as simple as hiring a youth for about $1,700 per employee. Or consider sponsoring a youth work experience at other businesses or organizations. If your organization has a high school employment program, let us know. Or simply help spread the word about WorkReady through your professional and social networks.

If we want continued growth and economic development in our city, we must invest in our young people, and that starts with summer jobs. As the fifth most populous city in the United States, Philadelphia has a large number of youths looking for opportunities to learn 21st-century skills and gain exposure to the job-readiness qualifications needed for long-term success.

Nationally, youth employment is at its lowest level since World War II. Overall, 6.5 million youths ages 16 to 24 are both out of school and out of work. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for that age group remains alarmingly high - more than three times the national average.

To provide a monetary perspective on the importance of youth employment, studies show that those who miss out on an early work experience are more likely to endure later unemployment and are less likely to achieve higher levels of career attainment. In fact, for each 16-year-old who is out of school and out of work, the future lifetime taxpayer burden is $258,040. The total taxpayer burden for all out-of-school and out-of-work youths ages 16 to 24 is an astounding $1.56 trillion, money that could be saved and invested in Philadelphia's economy.

Additionally, investing in our young people provides benefits beyond solely the monetary impact. Recent studies in Boston and Chicago found that summer employment has the potential to decrease delinquent or dangerous behavior. Over the last six years in Philadelphia, 5,051 young people ages 14 to 24 have been shot or killed. This only further elevates the need for more summer employment opportunities.

So what can you do to address the prospective jobs crisis, reduce the taxpayer burden, and potentially decrease youth violence?

Help WorkReady provide six-week jobs for youths throughout Philadelphia this summer. The program is a cross-sector partnership dedicated to improving the economic outcomes of the region's youth by attracting, aligning, and investing resources in workforce-development strategies.

Mayor Nutter is leading the charge. On Jan. 21, the mayor and other city leaders united to launch the 2014 Summer Jobs Challenge. Collectively, we are encouraging Philadelphia businesses, partners, and individuals to join with WorkReady to make a difference.

You can start preparing for summer now by thinking about how you can support Philadelphia's economy and young people. Investing in a young person's skills truly is an investment in the future success and prosperity of Philadelphia.

Let's keep our young people here, working in the city they know and love. We will not stop this work until every young person is provided an equal opportunity in the workforce.