LIHU‘E — Youth ages 14 to 23 are wanted. “There are a lot of work site applications filled out, but there are a lot more jobs available,” said Peggy Lake of the Workforce Development office in Lihu‘e. “The deadlines are
LIHU‘E — Youth ages 14 to 23 are wanted.
“There are a lot of work site applications filled out, but there are a lot more jobs available,” said Peggy Lake of the Workforce Development office in Lihu‘e. “The deadlines are right around the corner. School lets out for the summer on Wednesday so students can start working.”
Reyna Diaz, a freshman at Kaua‘i High School, was one of the interested students who dropped into the Workforce Development office to fill out an application, Friday.
“If I couldn’t find a job, I would probably go to summer school,” Diaz told Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona who dropped into the Lihu‘e office.
He brought news about the 2010 Summer Employment program.
The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Human Services announced an expansion of eligibility requirements for the 2010 Summer Youth Employment Program, states a release from Aiona’s office, Friday.
Eligibility requirements have been greatly expanded to provide more young people with summer jobs opportunities that pay $8 or more per hour at government and non-profit agencies.
“This is about providing our young people with an opportunity to develop skills, attitudes and commitment necessary to succeed in today’s workplaces,” Aiona said in the release. “We are excited about this opportunity for our young adults to earn wages, gain meaningful work experience and be exposed to great careers.”
The major development in eligibility expansion came from federal officials who allowed 600 percent of the Federal Poverty Level which means the vast majority of young people in Hawai‘i are eligible.
“This means almost every young person between 14 and 23 years old now is able to take advantage of this program,” Aiona said.
Funding for the 2010 Summer Youth Employment Program comes from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Stimulus Funds. Specifically, a minimum of $3 million in TANF funds will go to the program administered by a collaborative effort between the state’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the DHS. Neighbor Islands have a $1.8 million share with additional federal funds available if enrollment in the program is larger than expected, the release states.
“We want people in the work sites to be creative,” Aiona said. “They don’t need to pay for the student help. The TANF funds take care of that. We want them to come up with ways they can make use of the students’ talents while providing the students with challenging and learning experiences.”
Aiona said students, too, need to be creative in taking advantage of this opportunity.
“Look at Reyna. If she didn’t have a summer job, she would have to go to summer school,” Aiona said. “Now, she has a job and can earn a paycheck that can be used for spending money, saving for college, or helping to pay her own bills.”
Aiona said if Kaua‘i students cannot find work here and have relatives on the Outer Islands, it might not be a bad idea to get a job there for the summer.
Lake said Ka‘eo Bradford has been hired to coordinate the 2010 Summer Youth Employment Program and is ready to start, Bradford getting an orientation when Aiona stopped in to visit.
Mary Navarro of Hale ‘Opio was in the office to find out more about the program and Leilani Spencer of the Economic Development Center, Parents & Children Together, First to Work program in Kapa‘a was thrilled with the expanded eligibility requirements.
Visit hawaii.gov/labor/wdd/summer-youth-employment-program for more information or to download an application, or call 274-3056.
Application forms and more information are also available at the Workforce Development office in Lihu‘e, located in the Lihu‘e Civic Center across from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
