ABOVE: Mayor Sylvester Turner joins business and community leaders to announce the application process has now opened for the Hire Houston Youth program
Mayor Sylvester Turner recently joined business and community leaders to announce the application process has now opened for his signature Hire Houston Youth program, which will provide summer jobs for young people ages 16 to 24.
“I want everyone to remember that Hire Houston Youth is Houston’s promise to the educational and employment empowerment of our youth. We are building stronger bridges to assist in the transition from school to work,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “I am calling on all employers, small and large, those from the public and private sector, our service providers, our financial institutions, philanthropic partners, and educators to partner with us to expose, prepare, and provide meaningful work experiences for our youth.”
The Hire Houston Youth job board opened on March 15th and is open to Houston residents ages 16 to 24 who are looking for a job. Positions will be available in government, the private sector, and nonprofit agencies for year-round and summer opportunities.
The Hire Houston Youth Program is the first city-wide, collective impact postsecondary and workforce effort bringing together dozens of unique, outstanding partners from our diverse city. Youth, age 16–24, are offered seven-week paid summer jobs and internships at the City of Houston, the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Hire Houston Youth serves as the facilitator to connect youth to local jobs where they are empowered with an “earn and learn” opportunity in Houston’s dynamic economy.
The Hire Houston Youth program has reached tremendous strides, growing from 450 positions in 2015 to over 10,000 job opportunities in 2019.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic devastating summer youth employment programs around the nation, Hire Houston Youth transitioned to a virtual “earn and learn” opportunity in 2020 that allowed its participants to train and work in a remote setting.
“The pandemic compromised our hard-earned gains, but we persevered and placed over 1,800+ youth into virtual/digital, community health, and COVID-19 related jobs and internships,” said Mayor Turner. “We were one of the only cities in the country to support a summer youth employment program actively.”
The City of Houston will be hiring up to 500 youth during the summer, offering $10 an hour, 32-hours a week, for up to 8 weeks.
Employers can sign up, and youth can apply for jobs by visiting http://www.hirehoustonyouth.org. For more information, please visit their website or contact their team at hirehoustonyouth@houstontx.gov.