LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thursday marked the first day of the 12th SummerWorks program in Louisville.
Mayor Greg Fischer, Jefferson County Public School Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio, participants, employers and supporters all gathered at Story Louisville to kick off the program.
Fischer founded SummerWorks during his first term, saying then, "We simply could not let down our youth," according to a press release.
SummerWorks has placed more than 8,000 young adults in quality jobs and more than 40,000 have been hired by employers who work with the program.
Some of those employers include UPS, Kindred Healthcare, GE Appliances, Kentucky Kingdom and Norton Healthcare.
“And from day one, SummerWorks has prioritized finding opportunities for the young adults in our community who need them the most,” Fischer said. “We can’t afford to allow barriers like poverty or discrimination hold back the promise of our next generation of leaders and innovators.”
Fischer said the program has recently been recognized as a "national model for youth job programs" by Results for America according to the release.
"I'm deeply grateful to SummerWorks and to TECC boss for giving me the opportunity to grow and progress just as I've been working with them the past couple years," said Jameah Hill, who was in their technology program.
TECC Boss is a program within SummerWorks that's focused on helping underrepresented minorities get technology entrepreneurship experience according to the release.
“We’re proud of JCPS’ commitment to SummerWorks and, in return, the program’s commitment to Louisville youth,” Pollio said. “Providing solid paying summer jobs to hundreds of our students and allowing them, in many cases, to utilize the skills they’ve learned through our Academies of Louisville program, is creating a pipeline of talent that our community desperately needs.”
To learn about how to get involved, click here.
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