Suffolk County Youth Summer Jobs Program Praised By Officials

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was joined by South Huntington School officials and youth workers to highlight the county’s summer youth employment program and its participants who are gaining valuable experience as productive members of the workforce.

“These hard-working youngsters are the future of Suffolk County,” said County Executive Bellone  speaking at Birchwood Intermediate School where students are employed for the summer in several job categories. “They have aspirations that will be well served by the experiences they are gaining now while earning a paycheck. Providing the opportunity for youth to be involved in their communities whether it be through community organizations, revitalization efforts and the like, only helps students to become more civic minded and committed to being productive citizens.

Youth workers assisting the South Huntington School District work with the extended school-year program for students with disabilities.  They serve in the capacities of: teacher assistant in training, assistant clerical administrators, custodial staff and counselors.

“This program is a wonderful way for County youths to take advantage of their time off from school to gain real world experiences while earning money to help with their personal or family expenses,” said Suffolk Legislator Lou D’Amaro.

The Suffolk County Summer Youth Employment Program is designed for youngsters ages 14-21 years of age and trains them to be productive members of the workforce.

Suffolk was awarded $957,538 for the 2014 Summer Youth Employment Program, funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal grant program.  This year, 840 youth are enrolled in the joint effort between the county departments of Social Services and Labor, an increase from 670 last year.

Of the 840 employed summer youth, Deputy Police Commissioner Risco Mention Lewis utilized 35 openings for at-risk youth from Bellport, Central Islip and Wyandanch to ensure they had a positive summer experience under the guidance provided by work-site coordinators, visits by SCPD Community Liaison Officers and the Deputy Commissioner.  “Many of the young men came to SCPD’s attention through school resource officers because of issues during the school year,” state Deputy Police Commissioner Mention-Lewis.   “Because we intervened in their conflicts, they are now working in a productive manner and are learning the necessary skills to assist them in their future endeavors. This is just another way to stop kids from engaging in behaviors that are not conducive to their overall development.”

“This summer program is giving young people a great start on developing the skills and self-discipline they’ll need for their careers,” said Labor Commissioner Samuel Chu. “They learn to take on responsibility for themselves while meeting the requirements of important jobs and discover what they need to succeed.”

Youth workers are employed at 88 locations throughout Suffolk County, in Amityville, Babylon, Bay Shore, Bellport, Bohemia, Brentwood, Bridgehampton, Central Islip, Commack, Coram, Deer Park, Dix Hills, Great River, Greenport, Hauppauge, Holbrook, Huntington Station, Mastic Beach, Mattituck, Nesconset, Oakdale, Patchogue, Medford, Port Jefferson Station, Riverhead, Ronkonkoma, Selden, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold, Stony Brook, and Wyandanch.

Applications for the program were submitted through school guidance offices, community organizations, county legislator offices and the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs.  An additional 50 youth that could not be placed into the program were referred and hired for the summer by Labor Department workforce partner, Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk.

Representatives of the South Huntington School District, including Dr. David Bennardo, the district superintendent; Jackie Harris, a deputy superintendent, and Dave Perkins, coordinator of student services, said the program had not only provided jobs for students but had benefited staff members who worked with them.

Photo above: Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone with student workers; South Huntington superintendent Dr. David Bennardo is at right; deputy superintendent Jacqueline Harris at left (in red).