More than 1,000 young people attend Youth Summer Job Fair

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the staff of Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), City and elected officials, representatives of Boston youth serving agencies and over 1,000 Boston teens at the City of Boston SuccessLink Youth Job & Resource Fair at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College.

"SuccessLink offers our youth the incredible opportunity to not only earn a paycheck, but also gain critical professional and life skills," said Mayor Walsh. "We must make sure our youth have opportunities to continue learning and growing throughout the summer months. We're looking forward to matching our bright young people with great employers for the upcoming summer."

At the Job Fair, youth who have applied for a summer job through SuccessLink, the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program online tool, or who are planning to, had the opportunity to engage with over 100 Boston non-profit and public agencies that employ youth during the summer. There were also resource tables with important information and opportunities for teens, and interactive stations to help youth work on skills related to their employment search. Over 3,000 youth are employed each summer through the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program.

"Today's Youth Job & Resource Fair shows that the Walsh Administration firmly believes that every youth, regardless of zip code, deserves an opportunity to reach their full potential and succeed," said Boston's Health & Human Services Chief, Marty Martinez. "The Job Fair provides a supportive space for youth to learn about the job search process, gain essential, real world networking skills, and put those skills to practice by connecting with over 100 employers that are ready to hire."

The SuccessLink application will be available through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 30, 2018. Teens can apply 24 hours a day on the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (YEE) website at youth.boston.gov. Teens interested in applying must be a full-time resident of the City of Boston; must turn 15 years old on or before Monday, July 9, 2018; cannot turn 19 years old, on or before Friday, August 17, 2018 and must be legally permitted to work in the United States. Youth who apply through SuccessLink can also get connected to resources and join civic engagement initiatives designed to empower youth. Applicants can also manage and update their information online. SuccessLink uses a lottery algorithm to improve the fairness and efficiency with placing youth in jobs. 

"When I first turned 15 I was so excited to register for SuccessLink," said Ashawn Dabney-Small, age 16, from Dorchester. Going through the process was easy because I had individuals from YEE helping me through it. The Job Fair is great because it brings everyone together in one location and gives youth a chance to branch out, try new things and get help and information!"

Boston is a leader in youth employment across the nation with a focus on offering meaningful employment opportunities to young people ages 15-18. Under the leadership of Mayor Walsh, 10,000 Boston youth are placed in jobs each summer through SuccessLink and other Boston youth employment efforts. Summer opportunities include paid positions with local cultural attractions, media outlets, Boston municipal government departments and as tutors, mentors and counselors at many summer day programs. Last summer 3,015 young people were employed through SuccessLink at over one hundred community based organizations.  BCYF YEE also manages a school year jobs program which hires over 500 youth each year.

About Boston Centers for Youth & Families

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) is the City of Boston's largest youth and human service agency. BCYF operates 36 community centers in Boston that offer a variety of engaging and enriching programs for people of all ages created through community input and need. BCYF also oversees many citywide programs including the nationally-recognized violence intervention and prevention Streetworker Program and SuccessLink, Mayor's Summer Jobs Program.