Hire a Philly teen this summer for $1700, offer mentorship

Want to avoid summer flash mobs, hire some part-time help and help Philadelphia teenagers gain industry insight? Then hire some.

Last summer 18,000 youth applied for work-ready summer jobs, but just 7,600 were employed, according to tracking data from the Urban Affairs Coalition. The impact is huge but the interest isn’t high enough yet, said one UAC representative.

The economic empowerment group is calling on Philadelphia businesses to work with Work Ready Philadelphia to create more summer jobs for the flood of young city residents who hit the streets when school goes out for session.

“UAC would love to get more tech companies involved,” said Kate Rivera, project director at the nonprofit.

The WorkReady Program is managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network. The cost of one summer job is $1,700. This cost allows for recruiting, paying wages and assistance in designing the programing.

For ways to help you can hire or sponsor a WorkReady youth, visit here or tweet them @UACoalition.