Inaugural City Youth Employment Program A Success

Aug 4th, 2017

Mobile, Ala. -- The City of Mobile's first youth employment program wrapped up after a summer of job training, community engagement and real world work experience. The vision for the youth employment program was for young people to understand the strategies to obtain and sustain employment including time management, attitude and collaboration.

Through the efforts of Mayor Stimpson's Youth Empowered for Success (YES) Initiative, 250 young people underwent evidence based job training focused on the core fundamentals of communication, time management, financial management and team work. The 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile administered "Essential Skills" to youth ages 14 and 15 and the Boys and Girls Club of South Alabama directed "Teen Launch" to youth ages 16 to 24.

The University of South Alabama provided a certified tourism and hospitality training for youth ages 17 to 24 who were employed by resorts and hospitality companies in Gulf Shores. Upon completion of the training, 65 participants went to work for select employers. This was the first Gulf Coast workforce development partnership to answer the growing demand of seasonal employment in Gulf Shores and the number of young people in the City of Mobile ready and eager to work. This collaboration was so successful that all participating companies have signed on for another summer.

In addition to providing hospitality jobs to youth, almost 100 young people worked in 17 City departments this summer including the Mayor's Office, the City Council, legal, Build Mobile, information technology, traffic engineering, engineering & development, architectural engineering, the City of Mobile Animal Shelter, the Mobile Tennis Center, the Innovation Team, Mobile Police Department, Mobile Fire-Rescue, Municipal Court, GIS, 311, procurement and supplier diversity. The City also connected businesses with 120 summer interns from Mobile County Public Schools through private funding and connected 40 summer interns to nonprofits from the Mobile Public Housing SWEET-P Program through the City's Community Development Block Grant Funding .

"For the first time in Mobile's history, we taught hundreds of young people lifelong skills that will remove barriers and provide access to opportunities that help them build a successful future," said Mayor Stimpson. "They now carry the knowledge that will empower them to achieve their wildest dreams."

Watch Mayor Stimpson discuss leadership with YES interns from the summer youth employment program here.