A job market with a lot of opportunities and plenty of young people needing work experience is a combination of factors that CareerSource Tampa Bay (CSTB) is trying to turn into a successful summer jobs program.
Matching businesses with potential employees who may be new to the labor force is the goal of CSTB’s Summer Hires program, and the career and workforce development agency is soliciting applications from employers and youths to participate this year.
Through the program, opportunities to earn money while learning employable skills are made available to young people 16 to 24 years of age. Wages and incentives are paid by CSTB to individual participants who take a position with a company that is part of the summer employment program.
There are three tracks individuals can choose from for their Summer Hires activity. An eight-week internship of 24 hours per week will earn a participant $13 an hour. Those looking to sample a work experience can select the Online Career Exploration track and earn a $200 weekly incentive from CSTB. A $200 weekly incentive is also available for those participating in the six-week Youth Leadership Academy.
People interested need to complete a 2022 Tampa Bay Summer Hires application on the CSTB website. The registration deadline is Monday, February 28, with applicants served in the order their applications were received. The agency plans on providing jobs for up to 760 youths in 2022.
Employers are needed to participate and Jennifer Wilson, director of the Tampa Bay Summer Hires program, said businesses can play an important role in developing talent they need by being a part of the program and providing employment opportunities for young adults.
“This program would not be able to succeed without the support of our business community,” she said. “Our business community has been key to our success by meeting businesses’ short-term workforce needs, improving our regional talent pipelines and expanding workplace learning opportunities through our paid work experience model.”
Of particular interest to CSTB are positions in industries such as construction, hospitality, retail, health care, manufacturing, information technology and logistics. Among last year’s employers were 78 for-profit businesses, 33 nonprofit entities and one governmental agency.
For more information, visit www.careersourcetampabay.com or call 419-5398.
