30 Providence agencies to hire 821 youths with stimulus money
5:20 PM Tue, Jun 02, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Mayor David N. Cicilline said this afternoon that $1.9 million in federal money will go to expanding job opportunities for youths at 30 city agencies and a handful of city departments. Exactly 821 jobs will be created through funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the mayor. The work opportunities will have the double benefit of bolstering community organizations and exposing young people to new skills, potential career paths and a better understanding of the community around them, he said. "With this we're helping families hit hardest by the economic downtown and investing in our community partners," Cicilline said at a news conference outside the Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, in the city's working-class Silver Lake neighborhood. "City youths will do more than earn a paycheck. They'll be helping their community and learning the skills that will help build their futures." The money to fund the summer jobs is being distributed to city nonprofit organizations and departments by Workforce Solutions of Providence and Cranston, a governmental agency that handles federal and state money for workforce development. The $1.9 million represents nearly half the money that Rhode Island will get through the youth summer jobs initiative. All told, the stimulus plan calls for $4 million to be funneled to state agencies in order to create about 1,700 summer jobs. The jobs will be available to youths ages 14 to 24 who come from low-income families and have significant barriers to employment, such as deficiency in basic literacy skills, being a school dropout, homeless, pregnant, a criminal offender or disabled. Some jobs will give young people the chance to focus on the environment through such projects as producing a video and learning about green technology, planting trees, and teaching residents about recycling, the mayor said. At Neutaconkanut Park, for example, youths will be guides on park trails. Other job opportunities include employment at the Everett Dance Theatre, Groundwork Providence, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Providence Housing Authority, Urban League of Rhode Island, Steelyard, Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence , Young Voices and other city agencies. The summer jobs program will begin in July. Applications are available at all Providence Public Schools, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services at Providence City Hall and on online at www.providenceri.com. Completed applications must be returned to Network RI, One Reservoir Avenue, no later than June 26th. For more information about the program, contact Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston at 861-0800 x115. 
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"The jobs will be available to youths ages 14 to 24 who come from low-income families and have significant barriers to employment, such as deficiency in basic literacy skills, being a school dropout, homeless, pregnant, a criminal offender or disabled."
So stimulus money is being spent to give jobs to 14 year olds and 16 year old drop-outs while RI's unemployment rate is in the double digits and working people with kids don't have jobs?!?!!?
Thanks, President Obama!
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