PIMA COUNTY — Youth age 14-21 have just over a week left to apply for Pima County’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
Deadline is Friday, March 8, to secure a summer job with employers ranging from medical providers to recreation centers to the County Attorney’s Office.
Pima County partners with several local agencies to offer job placements to students. Sessions are typically four to seven weeks long and range from 20 to 40 hours per week. Note that not all ages may be eligible for every summer program included within the application process. Youth must be at least 14 and not older than 21 by June 3, 2019.
Youth can apply online at https://summeryouth.pima.gov or pick up an application form at a local high school, community center or library. Applicants also may call 724-9639 for more information. The program is sponsored by Pima County’s Community Services, Employment and Training Department and ARIZONA@WORK-Pima County.
Deadline to submit a report card and for out-of-school youth to take an assessment is March 29.
Daniel Miranda, clubhouse director for the Boys & Girls Clubs on Tucson, has worked with numerous young teens in the five years he’s been involved with the Summer Youth Employment Programs.
“I’ve had a great experience with interns placed with our Clubhouse,” Miranda said. “We got great quality teens who could work as a team or individually.”
Depending on funding levels, between 1,100 and 1,300 young people in Pima County can gain valuable experience while working for Pima County, the City of Tucson, the University of Arizona and dozens of participating local businesses. The pay is the Arizona minimum wage of $11/hour.
The jobs they perform vary widely, from outdoor labor to clerical to retail. Virtually all industries are represented, including public, private, non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Jobs with Pima County’s Department of Transportation or Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department involve outside manual labor. Applicants for these positions will be placed in a special pool of applicants, which may increase the chances of being selected for a summer job.
Patrick Robles, a senior at Sunnyside High School, spent last summer as an intern in the office of District 2 Pima County Supervisor Ramón Valadez. One of his jobs was to research how to increase engagement with constituents on social media — a perfect fit for someone who already has a keen interest in government, including serving as student body president at his school.
Clearly, the work experience paid off. Robles won the Outstanding Youth Award from the Pima County Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council in December. For Robles, it was all about “letting me apply my skills to work towards building a better community.”
The Summer Youth Programs also include basic education, in which young people can earn elective high school credit through learning in math, reading and writing. Work hours range from 20 to 40 hours per week. Placements range from four to seven weeks depending on the specific work or education program.
Program participants are selected based on their applications, grades, assessment scores and work interests as well as available funding, applicant program selections, geographic area, and employer/worksite requirements.
Participants attend a one-day “employability skills” workshop, where they learn about good work habits and employer expectations before they go to work.
For more information, call the Pima County Summer Youth Programs Hotline at 520-724-9639.
