Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Some of the participants in the ASG’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) are all smiles after getting their first paycheck this week. In past SYEP programs, it would take weeks even months for the participants to get paid.

During the official opening of the SYEP on June 27, 2022, Lt. Governor Talauega E. Ale challenged the ASG Human Resources Department to process paychecks for this year's 1,000 plus participants in a timely manner to avoid complaints and frustrations from participants and their parents.

The participants did receive their checks on Monday and ASG HR is sending reminders to employers who have SYEP participants to make sure they send the students’ timesheets in so they can be processed without delay. The checks average $250 net pay for a two-week payroll for participants working 4 hours a day.