News & Updates

Answer the call, hire a Boston teen!

Feb 02, 2012

This week, Mayor Menino unveiled bostonsummerjobs.org, a new City website aimed at recruiting more Boston companies to hire youth for Summer 2012! By signing up, Mayor Menino will send a message out to more than 17,000 followers on Twitter (#sjbos) and Facebook, the Mayor hopes that businesses will also see the publicity benefits as another reason to hire a high school student.
  • Boston offers the most summer jobs per capita of any major city in America.
  • Only 14% of companies that have more than 100 employees offer a summer job.
Click bostonsummerjobs.org to sign up to hire a local teen, and view testimonials like the one below. In 2010, Shaylim Blackwell, a senior at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School started at State Street as a mailroom intern.  Last summer he served as a Technology Integration Intern, and this summer he'll return for his third summer!
“My experience at State Street has been amazing.  Besides earning money, I have learned how to focus on the job and take constructive criticism. I never thought that being from the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester, I would have this opportunity.  I hope more kids and companies can have this type of summer experience.”- Shaylim Blackwell
Summer youth employment is a key component of the City's business strategy.  The effort grows a new generation of workers while creating a high level of talent coming out of urban neighborhoods. The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) has a Career Specialist in every high school in Boston, and Career Specialists work with students on developing job readiness skills and career interests.  Additionally,  PIC sponsors Job Shadow Day where hundreds of Boston Public Schools students spend one day shadowing an adult mentor (including elected officials like the Mayor and Governor Deval Patrick). This year it's happening this Friday, February 3. Then, during April school vacation week, hundreds of adult volunteers from businesses do "mock interviews" with BPS students.  This is a major undertaking and allows students to polish their resumes and interviewing skills in preparation for when businesses who have signed up to hire youth hold interviews.

Related Tags

Summer Jobs Program 

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