Rochester Summer Youth Employment Program Closes the Summer of 2024 with Over 779 Local Youth Participants Working and Earning a Paycheck
ROCHESTER, NY, August 29, 2024—RochesterWorks announced today the completion of the 2024 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which had a total of 494 participants this year, the most youth enrolled since before the pandemic in 2018. Combined with the 285 participants in the City of Rochester’s Summer of Opportunity Program (SOOP), a total of 779 local youth were able to receive valuable paid work experience with a local employer this summer.
The number of host sites employing participating youth this summer were 58 for SYEP and 63 for SOOP, for a combined total of 121 Monroe County businesses taking part in the joint programs.
SYEP and SOOP are operated jointly through a partnership between RochesterWorks and the City of Rochester, respectively. The two organizations work collectively to recruit and enroll eligible youth from the City of Rochester and Monroe County towns into the program, helping families navigate the multi-step application process. The SYEP program is administered on behalf of the Monroe County Department of Social Services, using funding provided by New York State.
"The Summer Youth Employment Program is such a valuable resource for our community. Helping our youth get real work experience and the satisfaction of earning a paycheck is one of the best things we can do to prepare them for their future," said Dave Seeley, Executive Director of RochesterWorks, Inc. "I'm thankful to our RochesterWorks team for their ongoing hard work on this program and for the continued support from our partners, Monroe County and the City of Rochester.
The RochesterWorks SYEP program provides two types of paid employment for teens. Youth ages 14 and 15 are enrolled in a structured program with a local non-profit, receiving work experience and soft skill development. Older youth ages 16-20 are placed directly with one of a number of local employers who participate in the program. The SYEP wages are paid by RochesterWorks.
"We're incredibly proud of the impact we've made this summer by empowering so many young people with valuable skills, work experience, and the chance to earn their own income. We owe a huge thanks to our dedicated employer partners, as well as Monroe County and the City of Rochester, for their continued support. Together, we've created meaningful opportunities, and we're excited to build on this success for an even bigger impact in the summer of 2025," said Antwan Williams, Director of Youth System Services.
In addition to earning a paycheck, program participants are also eligible to receive financial literacy education, with the option of opening a checking and savings account. This is made possible through a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester.
For more information about the SYEP and SOOP program, please visit ROCSummerYouth.com.
About RochesterWorks
RochesterWorks is Monroe County’s largest employment and training initiative. We are a nonprofit dedicated to providing free employment and workforce services to job seekers, youth, and businesses in Rochester and the Greater Monroe County Area.
Learn more about RochesterWorks, our programs, events, and services by visiting www.rochesterworks.org or by calling our Career Center at 585-258-3500/(TTY: 800-662-1220).
RochesterWorks is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
About our partners: Monroe County & The City of Rochester
See https://www.monroecounty.gov/ and https://www.cityofrochester.gov/default.aspx for more information