Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Samantha I. Lugo (212) 788-9364
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined the Commission on Youth Empowerment Services (YES) for the kick off of the City's summer youth employment program campaign. The campaign urges private businesses to give summer employment opportunities to young people. In cooperation with the private sector, this year the Commission hopes to place tens of thousands of New York City youngsters in summer jobs.
" I remember my first job as a newspaper delivery boy and how much I learned about work and responsibility. We should give that same opportunity to our young people, an opportunity to feel valuable and establish goals for their future," the Mayor said.
"Helping our children find summer employment is a shared responsibility. A summer job can often be the first step towards a productive and successful future -- that will benefit all of us and our City. I want to thank Dave Williams, Chair of the YES Commission, Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra, the members of the YES Commission, and the private industry leaders whose enthusiasm and commitment to New York City's Youth is making a difference in thousands of young people's lives and throughout the City," the Mayor added.
Joining the Mayor were Deputy Mayor for Education and Human Services, Ninfa Segarra; Dave Williams, CEO of Alliance Capital Management and Chair of the YES Commission; Jody S. Hall, Executive Director of the YES Commission; and the industry partners of the YES Commission.
Deputy Mayor Segarra, who coordinates the YES Commission's efforts said, "A first job is an important experience in a young person's life. This exciting public-private partnership will provide invaluable experience and open the door of opportunity for over 50 thousand young New Yorkers."
"A summer job is as critical to education as a diploma," said Dave Williams, Chair of the YES Commission.
This year the YES Commission will continue promoting its partnership and employment opportunities with the successful slogan used last year, "Remember Your First Job!", which asked prospective employers and role models to tell of their first job experience. The campaign includes public service announcements, and print advertising urging the business sector to say "yes" to young people ages 14 to 21 by giving them jobs this summer. The New York Post generously donated advertising space and is also a youth employer.
Businesses interested in becoming a YES partner can call (212) 788-6700 to find out how to provide summer jobs for the City's Youth.
The Mayor's Commission on Youth Empowerment Services was created by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani on March 14, 1996 to coordinate the resources of the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in order to maximize the youth employment opportunities available in New York City.
The YES Commission coordinates the public and private sector efforts to expand summer jobs for NYC's youth. The 1996 campaign resulted in over 39,000 jobs. This figure surpassed the 1995 level by 661 jobs, despite a 30% reduction in federal funding for Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEP).
In 1997, the YES refocused its strategy to emphasize the expansion of summer job opportunities in the private sector through employer commitments to hire youths. As a result, the number of private sector job placements processed through YES increased to a 1997 total of 52, 047 jobs. 43,244 of those were subsidized by the public sector.
The Commission works in collaboration with the United Way of New York City, the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce, the New York City Department of Business Services, the New York State Department of Labor, the New York City Department of Employment, the New York City Housing Authority and the New York City Public/Private Initiatives.