By Monrovia (CA) Mayor Rob Hammond
May 5, 2008

The Youth Employment Service (YES) is a Summer Jobs program for at-risk high school youths designed to 1) provide work for teens who would otherwise be unemployed and idle during summer months, 2) train teens in actual job skills, 3) connect teens with adult mentors who provide advice, training and encouragement, and 4) keep at-risk teens in school through graduation and move them on a career path to college and technical training.

Mayor Rob Hammond and the Monrovia City Council established the program. The concept flowed from a series of presentations made at the Conference of Mayor’s seminar in March 2007.

Paid internships with the city were provided for 30 at-risk youths in a variety of city department for nine weeks, June 18 to August 18, 2007. Students were paid regular wages and did real jobs, from scanning and filing to working the reception desk to assisting in recreation programs. To participate, students were required to attend an orientation meeting with their parents, participate in a Job-College-Life seminar, file applications and pass both an oral interview and a physical exam. Participants attended Monday morning meetings with a program mentor to discuss topics related to workplace behavior, appropriate dress and community tools and techniques. At the end of each workweek, they met again to discuss how they were able to apply the techniques discussed at the beginning of the week. In addition to paychecks, participants also earned ROP school credits for working and attending the weekly meetings.

Participants were congratulated at a “graduation” ceremony at the end of their internships, and were rewarded with certificates of completion and letters of recommendation for use in future job searches.

As an adjunct to the job program, dozens of speakers were also sent to local middle schools to speak to students about careers and career planning under a sub-program titled Monrovia Works. The speakers represented businesses and public service agencies throughout the community, and ranged from police and fire personnel to corporate employees and owners of small businesses.

The YES program was established in 2007 by Hammond, who became convinced that teaching youth the ultimate value of continued education would put them on career paths that would both better their lives and contribute to the betterment of the community’s workforce. With the active support of the city council, city staff and a number of community partners, the program was established within a six-week period and 30 at-risk students had summer jobs that first year. Both Hammond and Council Member Mary Ann Lutz took active rolls in the program’s planning and operations and became familiar with the participants, often doing some mentoring themselves.

Of the 30 participants, 27 graduated and received completion certificates and letters of recommendation to future employers. Three of the YES interns proved so good at their jobs that they are now working as permanent part-time employees of the city – one in the Community Development Department and two in Community Services. One other used the training to get a part-time job with an engineering firm, moving toward his ultimate career goal as an electrical engineer. All four of the youths who are still working for the city are finishing high school this year and applying at colleges. Actually, all of the program’s participants indicated that they would continue with their educations beyond high school.

Participants in the first year’s program were high school sophomores and seniors. The school reports that since the summer experience, the attendance of those involved in the program has improved considerably, with tardiness dropping from 283 in 06-07 to 58 through the first three quarters of 07-08, absences falling from 134 to 42 and truancies dropping from 18 to just 7.

The YES program provided $8-an-hour jobs for nine weeks to 30 students at a cost to the city of approximately $80,000. The city council drew on its travel and expense budget to help fund the program in its first year. Funding is being included in the General Fund budget for future years, although outside funding and grants from other agencies is actively being sought.

Involvement of community partners was absolutely necessary to the success of the program, with the Monrovia Unified School District providing counseling and training assistance; the Santa Anita Family YMCA providing training and mentoring help and the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce supplying speakers and future job referrals.

1) Community partnerships are absolutely essential, particularly with the schools – and more particularly with school counseling staffs.

2) Pre'screening of applicants prior to intake, with assessment exams to test student writing skills or their ability to take a phone message, will help narrow the field as the program grows in popularity.

3) Potential employers who could offer YES graduates ongoing part-time work should be recruited early and involved in the program wherever possible.

The program’s success depends on two vital conditions – community partnerships with schools and organizations that are involved with the youths on a daily basis and who know them well, and the complete buy-in of the city staff that will build and operate the program as well as supervise and mentor the students.

For further information, contact Monrovia Mayor Rob Hammond, 415 S. Ivy Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016, (626) 932-5503 or Monrovia City Manager School Ochoa, 415 S. Ivy Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016, (626) 932-5501.