Lynn, others get cash for summer work

LYNN – Lynn, Peabody, Revere and Salem are among the communities statewide to receive a share of $30 million in state and federal recovery funds over the next two years to create summer job programs.Gov. Deval Patrick announced the funding as part of his Massachusetts Recovery Plan and pledged to commit the state and federal recovery dollars to create an estimated 10,000 summer jobs in 60 towns and cities.”Summer jobs keep young people engaged in something constructive and safe,” said Patrick. “Thanks to this innovative combination of state and federal recovery funds, we can give more kids than ever a chance to work, earn and learn this summer.”With summer approaching, the governor said he plans to combine $6.67 million from the state’s YouthWorks summer jobs program with $3.1 million in public safety funds and $21.1 million in workforce development funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).Patrick said the approach will maximize state and federal resources, helping to increase the number of jobs for young people between the ages of 14-24 to an estimated 10,000.”This summer’s program is going to be totally different because people – the public – has recognized that we need to have summer job programs for teens,” said Mary Sarris, executive director of the North Shore Workforce Investment Board.According to Sarris, the regional workforce development office will receive $285,000 through the YouthWorks program. “We don’t know yet what we will get in public safety funds, but we look at need and capability,” she said. “Money is going to be spent and a lot of it in Lynn, among kids who are low-income. Lots of these kids, their fathers and mothers are not working, so it hits at a good time.”Lynn youth looking for summer work can apply through the North Shore Career Center, 181 Union St.”We’re in the process of hiring a couple of staff people who are going to help out,” said Sarris. “We want to serve 500 to 800 teens this summer across the North Shore. So it’s a wonderful change and we’re grateful for this money.”Workshops have been ongoing in the Lynn schools, as well as in Salem, Peabody and Danvers, where students can learn about the FirstJobs program and the Find It, Get It, Keep It strategy.”It basically teaches kids to find, get and keep a job,” Sarris said.Funding will be channeled through the career centers. Lynn is already a YouthWorks program participant, run through John Kasian at the city’s Department of Community Development.”The North Shore should receive about $1.5 million for the youth programs. We have a contract for ARRA and we will respond to the YouthWorks grant by the end of April,” Sarris said. “It’s a complicated message because there are three or four pots of money through which kids can get jobs, but the kids don’t need to know where the money comes from. They just need jobs.”Last year, Lynn and Salem received a combined $242,000 to connect 72 at-risk youth with jobs and educational opportunities. Jobs included working at the Food Project, the YMCA, School Department, the Boys’ and Girls’ clubs, and at private companies such as Eastern Bank.”We’re again looking for private and non-profit organizations that can take some of these kids,” Sarris said.The federal recovery law provides the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce (EOLWD) with a total of $21.1 million through the Workforce Investment Act Title I Youth program to be distributed by federal formula to serve young people in 16 local workforce investment areas. In order to stimulate the economy immediately, the state agency anticipates that a majority of the workforce development funds will be spent this summer.EOLWD Secretary Suzanne M. Bump hailed the additional ARRA funds. “Work is a critical developmental and learning opportunity for youth,” Bump said. “Employers in the commonwealth need to invest in their future pipeline of workers by hiring a teen this summer. We have the capacity through YouthWorks and the American Re