SummerWorks

Youth Comments

"Thank you for this great work-learning opportunity. I really learned a lot about production and how manufacturing works, and now they offered me a full time job!" --- Tao

"Because of this job, I now feel comfortable and confident moving further up into the workforce...this opportunity really opened my eyes to show how my newly adapted skills can positively influence clients and coworkers" --- Dolly

"Thank you for this summer job. This program completely changed my life, taught me how to work and gave me hope." --- Steven

For more information please contact:
Barb Timper
503-478-7315
btimper@worksystems.org

According to the latest figures one in four Oregonians are unemployed or settling for part-time jobs. More than 235,000 of us are out of work – the highest rate of joblessness we’ve experienced in decades. With numbers like that, it’s hard to find a bright spot in Oregon’s workforce landscape.

But there is. This summer, Youth SummerWorks put 1,276 young people in Multnomah and Washington Counties to work—fueled by federal stimulus dollars and delivered by local partners,
these low-income youth got real jobs with real paychecks.

Youth SummerWorks was the first summer jobs program aimed at low-income youth in the metro area in nearly a decade. But it shouldn’t be the last.

SUMMERWORKS VIDEO

SummerWorks has proven itself as more than just a one-time stimulus effort. It has the potential to continue to boost the local economy and, more importantly, start low-income young people in Portland on life-long career paths.

We’ve taken the first step, but we can’t do it alone. Stimulus money helped Youth SummerWorks get off the ground this year. It won’t carry the program indefinitely. All of us—local, state and federal governments, businesses, schools and nonprofits—must work together if we want to see this proven success grow.
It’s important to our young people and our economy.

SummerWorks Summary Sheet (pdf)