A young woman made her way to the podium and looked down at her notes. Cassipea Stith was once one of the Atlanta youth being given a summer job through the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program and now she was addressing them about what the program and the opportunity it wrought did for her.
“Continue to be present like you are today and the rest will work out,” she explained. Stith, who is preparing to enter law school in Chicago in the fall, worked for the City of Atlanta as a summer youth employee and she spoke of how that experience has changed her life and professional trajectory.
“So many stories like that play in my mind,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens after Stith left the dais. “I believe this program can serve as a launchpad for their careers. To the young people that are here today, I am urging you to embrace the opportunities with an open mind.” Dickens shared stories of working at a local Wendy’s and Publix as a youth and how having a summer job was important to him.
Dickens’ “Year of the Youth” plans have a strong focus on not only finding something constructive for the city’s youth to do during the dog days of summer, but also on helping them find jobs. More than 5,000 youth (ages 14-24) worked for a number of companies, including 12 City of Atlanta departments, through the program last year. Just over 2,000 youth registered for job opportunities through the program before the summer began. This year there have been 5,070 registrants, according to data provided by the Atlanta Department of Labor & Employment Services. That means more jobs for local youth at $15 per hour, says Accenture Managing Director Chloe Barzey.
“We all know that talent is equally distributed, but opportunities are not. As a mom of teenagers, I will say this program is fantastic.”
The third annual Summer Youth Employment Program signing day offered employers and their future summer employees the opportunity to shake hands and sign on the dotted line. Some of the employers that were in attendance at the signing, which took place at Accenture Atlanta’s Midtown tech hub, put their electronic signatures on the digital document alongside the mayor’s.
“Our programs have seen remarkable responses from local businesses,” said Atlanta Department of labor & Employment Services Commissioner John Flanagan.
One of those business owners that is utilizing the Summer Youth Employment Program is Blooksy, aBlack-owned and operated Atlanta-based software company that helps users to get books published. The company’s founder, AJ Joiner attended signing day and sat alongside 15-year-old Kimora Pitts, a young author and student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate. On the benefits of the Summer Youth Employment Program, Joiner said, “It’s investing in the future, it’s investing in their education.”
Pitts, who came to the signing day event with some of the members of her family, reiterated something she learned from Joiner and while working with Blooksy. “Once a published author, always a published author,” she said. “This program gives us various opportunities to tap into our writing and creativity.” Pitts also mentioned the professional relationships and friendships she has made because of the summer youth employment program.