City Recruits Youth in the 100 Blocks for Summer Jobs
More than 500 students and young adults signed up for summer jobs in early March at three Summer Job Recruitment Fairs in West and East Oakland. We took these jobs out to the 100 Block areas because we know that unemployment in our city is highest in these areas, about double the state average.
It was exciting to see so many eager young people looking for their first job. it was also exciting because the growing partnership agencies in these areas -- schools that helped recruit and prepare their students, the Oakland Housing Authority that helped publicize and offered their own jobs, and City departments -- have stepped up to offer more than 400 summer jobs. Later this spring we will return to recruit youth 16 and older for the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program, which will include jobs in more city departments, other agencies and private businesses.
Last year in April, Congress abruptly ended the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program, leaving us to scramble to fill a 1000-job gap. We were able to provide just over 600. So this year we are starting early and are asking private employers to consider providing or funding a summer job or internship. A "first job" is often the first time a teen faces the future: what it requires to earn a living, how much education is needed for career choices, a chance to get outside of family or neighborhood boundaries. Typically, teens don't start thinking about summer jobs until May or June. They don't realize that this is one time when the "early bird" really "does' get the worm.
For more information about the Mayor's Summer Jobs Program, contact John Bailey, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board, at (510) 238-6440.
Volunteer for Oakland--people making a difference
Close to 500 people came to City Hall on Saturday, March 10 to learn about hands-on volunteering at organizations already making a difference in our City. Participants appreciated the opportunities for networking, especially at the Social Justice Presentations during the afternoon.
Click here for a list and links to the participants.
State of the CIty 2011 Report
Mayor Quan's State of the City Address: Oakland on the Rise
“Oakland is on the Rise,” said Mayor Jean Quan in her first State of the City address to the City of Oakland tonight. “It’s been a pretty good year for Oakland, despite a few bumps."
“Even while recovering from the worst national recession in decades and a constant stream of state and federal cuts, we are making progress in jobs and development. We are undergoing a renaissance in our thriving arts, cultural and culinary scenes that reflects one of the most diverse cities in the world,” she said. more »
