Summer Youth Employment Program kicks off later this month
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Government agencies and businesses in the private sector will be the worksite for hundreds of the territory's youth later this month, when they are disbursed and given a first hand feel of what it's like to work for a living.
The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is administered by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) through federal funding from the Workforce Innovative Opportunity Act (WIOA), with financial assistance from the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), administered by the Department of Commerce, and the Governor's Office Special Program Fund.
DHR Deputy Director Makerita Enesi told Samoa News yesterday that a set number of participants this year is dependent on funding, but added that at the close of registration in April, close to 1,000 individuals had already applied.
Last year, 800 young people between 14-24 years old took part in the program, which will pay participants $5.21 an hour (minimum wage) to work 4 hours per day, 5 days per week.
The program lasts for 6 weeks, "to allow everyone a chance to work and gain experience," Enesi said.
The official opening is scheduled for Monday, June 24th, followed by an orientation where participants will be schooled on the procedures and policies involved i.e. what is expected of them, grooming, personality, etiquette, and financial management, among other things.
The program will also be offered in the Manu'a Islands, where close to 40 participants will be paid 'interns' for the government departments that have offices there. According to Enesi, worksites in Manu'a are limited because of the lack of businesses.
She said priority status is placed on youth from low income families, teenage mothers, etc.
For college students taking morning classes and high students required to attend summer school, slots are open for them to work from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. so they don't have to 'drop' a class.
The goal of SYEP is to provide student-participants with knowledge and experience in a working environment, to prepare them for their career choices in the future.
When the SYEP first started, the number of participants was low. But over the years, it has continued to increase. For example, in 2012 there were only 200; but the number climbed to 350 in 2013 (the first year of the Lolo Administration); 500 in 2014; 700 in 2015; and then 800 each year thereafter, from 2016 to 2018.
Enesi reminds parents and guardians that the deadline for registration is already closed.
More information on the SYEP program can be obtained by calling DHR directly at 633-4485