The Santa Cruz County Workforce Investment Board and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education are excited to announce the Summer Youth Employment Program for summer 2009 and 2010. We are looking for local non-profit organizations, government agencies (federal, state or city) and private sector businesses to sign up as a worksite for SYEP. For those that sign up as a worksite, the youth will be working for 6-7 weeks, approximately 25 hours a week from June 22 through July 31.

If you cannot sign up as a worksite for SYEP you can still participate with the program by signing up to assist with a summer project. Youth that are unable to commit for the full 6 week program will be given the option to complete a community based project. The projects will need to be centered on green business, sustainable resources or high demand fields in Santa Cruz County.

SYEP is open to eligible low-income youth in Santa Cruz County between the ages of 14 and 24. The youth are employed by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education; fall under our Worker's Compensation; and complete all required employment paperwork (W-4, I-9, Work Permits - if under 18). Any youth who is over 18 will be fingerprinted and required to have a negative TB test before they will be placed at a worksite.

Each participant will be required to attend weekly job development trainings. The trainings will be held on different days, depending on the location of the worksite. A schedule of these trainings will be emailed or mailed to you at a later date. The trainings will cover time management, financial responsibility, work/life balance, career exploration and other work related topics. You will need to make sure that the youth enrolled in SYEP have enough time to get from your worksite to these trainings.

Here is what the Summer Youth Employment Program is looking for in a business/organization:

• A safe work environment for the youth.
• A place where the youth will gain knowledge and use as a reference for future jobs.
• Structure and mentoring for the youth.
• A worksite that helps them build workplace/interpersonal relationships and exhibits work-life balance.
• A true experience of what a job requires
• Hw to succeed at your jobsite

After registering as a worksite for the Summer Youth Employment Program you will receive a paper agreement that you will need to complete, sign and return to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.

If you have any questions please contact Scott Hill at (831)466-5709 or email at summeryep@santacruz.k12.ca.us

Thank you and we look forward to working with you this summer.