Boston City Council, MA March 2023, 27 Mar 2023

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From YouTube: Strong Women, Families & Communities on March 27, 2023

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Strong Women, Families, and Communities- Docket #0261- Order for a hearing t discuss the results of last year's youth summer jobs programs and the social emotional benefits of summer employment.

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Good morning, everyone before the record, my name, is Liz Braden District counselor for district 9. I am the chair of the Boston city council committee on strong women, families and communities I'm joined by my colleagues this morning, Consular Aaron Murphy at large and counselor Lucy luigien City councilor at Large. This hearing is being recorded. It is live streamed on boston.gov backslash, City, Dash, Council, TV and broadcast on Xfinity channel 8, RCN channel 82 and FiOS channel 964.

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Written comments may be sent to the committee email at the ccc.swfc at boston.gov and will be made a part of the record and available to all counselors public. Testimony will be taking up taken at the end of the hearing. If you wish to sign up for a public testimony here in the chamber, please sign in at the sheet near the door if you're looking to testify virtually please email, Shane pack, s-h-a-n-e-p-a-c at shin dot pack at boston.gov for the link and your name will be added to the list. Today's hearing is on docket number zero.

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Two six one order for a hearing to discuss the results of last year's youth summer jobs program and the social emotional benefits of summer employment. The docket is sponsored by a counselor at large Aaron Murphy applications for the 2023 success link summer jobs program are now open. There are seven thousand summer job positions for youth aged 14 to 18 within within person and hybrid opportunities at non-profits, community-based organizations and City agencies.

A

This morning we will hear from representatives of the office of Youth, Employment and opportunity, and the Boston public schools and the Boston Public Health commission.

A

With no further Ado I with no further Ado I will hand over to the lead sponsor counselor Aaron Murphy.

B

Thank you thank.

A

You counselor Murphy thank.

B

You chair Braden, um and thank you to the panelists for being here hello good morning. So when you go on your website the youth summer job website, it says all in bold letters employing Boston's youth for future success. So exactly um the reason why I filed this hearing and I know it's work we did last year during budget season. Two is making sure that you know we're talking about youth summer jobs now and thank you to the chair. I know our scheduling.

B

Council meetings have been I'm challenging this year around so getting this in, while the application process is still open and kids know that this opportunity is, there is important. um We have more positions to fill this summer, which is great I, know last year and we've expanded this year, we've connected with non-profits and not just City agencies for opportunities for kids, but I don't want to go another year where there are kids who would benefit from a youth summer job, but we haven't connected them to one right, I.

B

Think of that kid who may be sitting in his house playing video games- or you know watching TV when there's these opportunities that him or his mom dad aren't just aren't aware of that they're there for them.

B

That means for me, it's our responsibility to get the word out so I'm, hoping from this hearing that you see this um Rashad as a partnership that how can we on the council help connect either with different city departments or our own offices, because I know each counselor does a good job about reaching out to constituents, especially about good things like this, where there's opportunities for our youth.

B

So it's our responsibility. If it's through the schools, um public schools, libraries, community, centers churches, Health, Centers, I, keep thinking how many other places can I like talk to about this opportunity. The activities and opportunities available to our youth affect their social emotional health summer jobs provide our children with the routine that they lack in the absence of school, while allowing them to continue gaining new skills regarding work, experience, confidence, exploring potential future careers, possibly developing job skills. Gaining financial literacy by you know earning some money and understanding. How do you spend it?

B

How do you save it? What do you do with the money? You're earning building a sense of community and responsibility in reducing the risk of behavior that we don't want to see, and we want to make sure we're supporting our youth and gaining from these opportunities. Partnering with non-profits has expanded the diverse job offer opportunities and offerings our children has that they may not otherwise have thought of there's 12 Pages, which is exciting, but when I printed it out front and back there's a lot of different jobs.

B

Organizations that have stepped up so I want to thank all of those organizations. They've stepped up and offered, and it says in the column, everyone should look like how many jobs they're actually offering our kids. So it's great that all um for some examples- courageous sailing, New, England Aquarium future chefs- are like they've stepped up for our kids last summer, I helped a boy from Dorchester connect to a summer job at artists for humanities, and he was working with other peers, his age, doing what he loved digital art and 3D printing.

B

He also took the red line to Broadway in the morning and he had found met a few friends after the couple days there his dad had dropped them off the first day. He was a little nervous, but by the third day you know he was hopping on the red line getting off at Broadway and walking up to you know: West 2nd Street to the job. So it was a great opportunity for, like all of the reasons I had mentioned before and I just want to speak.

B

You know last year we did talk about when we had shut down, because you know this opportunity is open. Success link it when we should shut it down. There were still half the jobs that could have been filled and I know. We may have more jobs than are possible, but I do want to make sure that we are addressing and hearing from you today. You know what are the barriers for our youth to apply? Is it getting your working papers? Is it having an adult that maybe can help you go through the process?

B

Whatever those barriers are no judgment, what can we do to help make sure kids are accessing these jobs and also? How do we do and support you? Like I, said earlier in promoting these jobs I hear from so many parents, families, kids? They have no idea that they could work.

B

You know at these different places like oh I, could get a job at the community center because now I'm too old to be a camper, so I think it's important that um you know we work together and get the word out, because this is something you know great, that the city's doing I do just want to take one quick. Second um I did just find out last night about the panelists, so I know that you'll have that opportunity to introduce yourselves, but I was hoping Rashad.

B

You were obviously top on the list of being here and I know you'll be able to provide us with almost all the questions we have, um but I was hoping, Rebecca Granger with doing some research in my office to find some good panelists to come today. I found out that we have a children's cabinet in the city of Austin and Rebecca Granger is the lead and her she's tasked with that cabinet is tasked with advancing opportunities for children and teenagers.

B

So hopefully um she wasn't able I guess to be here today, but I was hoping that that voice, because it seems like the perfect cabinet to be part of this conversation. How will we advancing opportunities for our youth and children and also Brian Marks from BPS, whose job title is um Boston Public, Schools opportunity, youth, so I do hope that you know we keep the conversation to you know our 14 and 18 year old summer, job opportunities and I hope we get a lot out of this. So thank you, chair.

A

Thank you, councilor Murphy I'm, going to introduce the panel when our my colleagues get a chance to have them make their opening statement. We've just been joined by uh Consular council president and Flynn uh Council Louisiana. Would you like to make an opening statement.

C

Sure and I'll be brief. I just want to thank the members of administration for being here to talk about um how we make sure that all of our young people have access to good quality summer jobs.

C

um We know that summer jobs is an important element to making our sure that our children are living full lives and have something to do as we try to think about. um How do we keep our young people engaged and put money in their pockets? At the same time, I had my first job uh at the age of 14 subsidized by the city of Boston, and so my sister did red shirts.

C

You know I did my town very much through the pipeline of uh use summer jobs in my family and want to make sure that's available. Not only did I have a job during the summer that job that I had during the summer I had during the school year. So we're not just talking about summer jobs, hopefully, but also about year-round jobs for our young people, but also making sure that your office has everything that you need to execute. The technical assistance and the technical framework to be able to execute on.

C

You know match watching our young people with employers expanding that employer Network, especially for a year-round job. So I'm excited to be part of the conversation. I want to thank all of you for the work that you do in the commitment to our young kids in the city and looking forward to this discussion.

A

Thank you, Council Luigi and counselor councilor Flynn.

D

Thank you, madam chair, and thank you to the sponsors Council Murphy, for bringing this forward to the administration team. That's here for the important work you are doing in ensuring young people across the city have access to a meaningful summer job and that they are able to get the necessary training and build up skills and build up a resume um and great it's a great opportunity for young people to have that type of experience, especially as they prepare themselves, maybe for college, maybe for the workforce, but those skills and lessons life.

D

Lessons of showing up on time and working a full day and being accountable and helping your teammates at work are all important as you overall important qualities going into college or a career, so I want to say again say thank you to council Murphy for this important work and to the administration panel for um um ensuring young people have access to a good, a good summer job. Thank you. Thank you, madam chair.

A

Thank you, councilor Flynn um again, just echo my colleagues sentiments I I feel that you know we're coming out of covid.

A

It's been people Herculean effort to try and provide summer jobs when we were working in the hybrid spaces and uh we're really ready to ramp up on our young people are really deserve the opportunity to get good uh a robust offering of summer jobs that will build their resumes, build some really good, marketable skills, build their confidence and their leadership skills. So this is a huge and a huge benefit for our young people and I'm also really glad thank you, councilor Murphy, for bringing this issue up early.

A

Sometimes we have this conversation in the middle of the budget conversation and it's weeks before the deadline before uh you know we're having the conversation three weeks before the jobs are supposed to start in July. So it's really good to have this early conversation so that if we have any any uh remedial action that needs to be taken to get us back on track, then that'll be good.

A

So, uh thank you all for being here this morning, we're joined by uh Rashad, cope, Deputy, Chief of of the worker, empowerment cabinet and the office of Youth Employment and opportunity. Thank you for being here. Ted Lombardi, Lombardi I give you an a instead of a no there Lombardi secondary superintendent of college career and life Readiness from the Boston public schools and Anthony Crossen, director of Boston area health, education, center, Boston, Public, Health. Commission. Thank you all for being here this morning and I. Whoever wants to open up the conversation you're welcome great.

E

Can you guys see me here yes um excellent good morning, I'm, councilor, Braden and fellow council members I'll jump right in and pretty much just give an update on where we are currently at with summer jobs, so I'm going into 2023 I'm talking a little bit about some of the highlights from Summer 2022 and then just let my fellow colleagues here kind of just share as well and then be happy to take any additional questions. Hope that sounds okay.

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E

Great great so I'll just keep my remarks pretty brief, um and so Boston definitely has a strong youth jobs ecosystem. We don't do this work alone.

E

As a city, um you know, the ecosystem consists of the Boston Private Industry Council um ABCD summer Works youth options, unlimited of course BPS MLK Scholars, and there are many other strong entities who we feel are leaders in the youth job space alongside the city also including Northeastern University, who has been truly truly instrumental in really assessing and evaluating the social, emotional and also the educational impact of summer employment, and- and we continue to really work together- to increase coordination amongst all of these intermediaries, because it's a huge um you know, Collective effort to make sure everyone is on the same age and where you know there was a holistic and an inclusive strategy to ensure Workforce Development opportunities for young people.

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um The the social emotional, as many of you all mentioned, the social and emotional benefits of Youth jobs like we've experienced this through observation research, testimonials from Young People by way of getting out into the community visiting some of these job sites, having conversations with Partners having conversations with young people, while they're employed that youth jobs, it does provide some of these social emotional learning benefits. It allows really a space for young people to develop themselves into adults right and and that's increasing self-awareness. It supports responsible decision making and behavioral change.

E

It supports academic achievement as youth become excited about a potential career goal by way of their participation in summer jobs, and it motivates young people to do better in school. It connects young people to healthy adults who can become lifelong mentors and provide continued life guidance and it teaches young people about just you know positive relationships, so the benefits of Youth jobs and we've seen this. This has come from discussions from research.

E

It is Paramount last summer you know during the last this past year, so we're talking about summer 2022 and the 2022-2023 current school year. We were able to employ collectively six thousand four hundred and three young people of that 4 547 was during the summer of 2022 and then 1850 six young people are currently engaged in school year, employment, and that is um you know that is broken down a few different ways. We have some incredible City agencies who continue to step up every year to provide job opportunities to young people.

E

Some of those City agencies are bcif, Boston, Parks and Rec. There are even some bphc there's. Even of course, you know. Anthony here is a representative from bphc, so he can talk a little bit more about. You know some of the job offerings that's provided through bphc and there's also some summer jobs here in City Hall, which we call summer jobs in the city government.

E

We we awarded 3.1 million dollars last summer in grant funding to 40 non-profit organizations to to provide youth employment opportunities, so we that was a grant making motto in which allowed us to really decentralize. You know some of the challenges of hiring every young person through the city.

E

um You know our thinking was: how can we provide just full autonomy to our non-profit organizations who have the infrastructure to be able to manage the administrative process of hiring them, recruiting a young person, hiring a young person and managing the payroll as well, and we've seen tremendous success with that Grant making model so much so that we have decided this year to shift all of our non-profit organizations to a full Grant making model and find ways for the city to provide technical assistance and support those organizations around capacity building.

E

We partner with 187 community-based organizations, a part of the youth jobs program you know, is funding for the learn and earn initiative which started during the pandemic, and that was one of the true successes you know of connecting young people to um virtual learning opportunities in which they are able to take college courses for credit and also receive career coaching as well, so that that's continuing.

E

We have also supported the dreamist fellowship, which we will continue to do, and that is more of a skill and leadership development program for for immigrant youth, regardless of status and then, in addition to just the jobs for 14 to 18 year olds. Last last summer there were 376 young adults between the ages of 19 to 24 that are also a part of the summer jobs program that we provide job opportunities to and those young adults are truly instrumental in terms of their their supervision of young people who are participating in youth jobs program.

E

They help some of these non-profits who need the capacity right. They they add capacity. You know to allow these organizations to be able to provide a meaningful job opportunity to these young people in terms of just some of the the challenges um and I'll just speak very just earnestly to some of the challenges, um and you know Council Murphy appreciates issue or your partnership and just helping think through.

E

um You know like what are. Let's acknowledge. You know that this is a huge herkling effort right, we're talking about thousands and thousands of young people. You know that we need to connect to a short-term Employment Program during the time in which you know. There's young people may you know, have fluctuating schedules.

E

You know family commitments, um you know so you know I think all of these things we have to take into consideration, as we are talking about just summer jobs, um but we we've continued to see young people navigate challenges with the administrative process and that's really just hiring right like connecting young people to a job.

E

um You know personally, I don't feel like that's. Our biggest challenge is just getting young people through. You know the paperwork process having young people, you know, collect birth certificates and social security cards, and you know, and and getting signatures for the work permit, which is required for every young person.

E

um There's a few signatures and we've talked about this- you know just you know as an ecosystem. You know there's a few signatures. You know that are required for a work permit to actually be finalized from the young person from a parent from a physician. So so those things need to happen and we have seen those as some barriers um for young people um in terms of just like you know, there are also some post-pandemic challenges as well um that it's a true reality right.

E

So with the you know, with the Covenant pandemic shutdowns, you know some of some of the schedules for young people. You know tended to be unpredictable.

E

um Young people, you know were still you know, testing positive for covet, which required some young people to um you know not actually work. uh You know during the summer months as well, um so I think that that's a reality, Mass mandates, social distancing. Some of those things were a reality last year as well.

E

um You know the the tight labor market I think we have seen. um You know that there are other jobs that tend to you know have begun to pay more. um You know for young people, young people, you know, have been competing.

E

um You know for jobs at Target, you know and Amazon, that's paying. You know 17 18 an hour for the same age group of young people that you know are being targeted, for you know some of the summer job opportunities as well, um so we know that those things aren't going away. So you know just having the conversation around just wage parity.

E

You know across the board, for young people is a really important conversation, um because those things can continue to come up as well adjustments to hybrid curriculum and program modules, and then just you know, continuing to really make sure that there is full support. For um you know, community-based and non-profit organizations that reflect some of the post-pandemic challenges.

E

um Yeah I, think that, like I mean that's it um on my end, I mean I have a ton of more information here. You know that I can share. You know ask questions arise, but um you know we're pretty confident like going into this summer. We, um the the office of Youth, Employment and opportunity, has shifted underneath the worker, empowerment cabinet um and the worker empowerment cabinet.

E

um You know under um Chief. Trends leadership, um you know, has been truly, um you know just instrumental in having you know just grounded strategies around Workforce Development and we truly see youth jobs. You know as a Workforce Development Initiative for young people, because we're preparing young people for future careers right.

E

um So you know, there's um you know we're thinking intentionally around just the alignment you know of making sure young people are prepared for jobs and some of these emerging you know Industries and occupations and thinking um you know what are some things that we can do within this youth jobs program. You know from you know, preparation standpoint, making sure that you know young people you know are gaining the skills. You know that I recognized by Industries and occupations right and how we actually tracking that as well.

E

um So we're excited about that um and you know we're um I think the last thing you know that I mentioned earlier is you know we're continuing to work? Very. Very um you know. Just you know, I guess intentionally with um you know, with our research partner at Northeastern, University um Alicia monostino has, you know, has documented just the impact of of summer jobs. uh There's some she's. There's some national research. You know that she's been a part of in Boston.

E

You know, has always been looked at as a model for youth employment and we're continuing to learn through her research ways in which we can align and adapt. um You know just key strategies from other.

E

um You know cities as well to make sure that you know we are just doing our job and improving and increasing opportunities for young people.

A

Thank you, um I think we'll just keep going with the panel and then have the questions at the end. If that's okay, uh so who's in your next.

F

Yes um well good morning, actually I've been reading and uh councilman, Murphy and, and all of those that are here. Thank you um for hosting this this morning and calling this hearing. This is cool. I. Think we work with so many young people want to know uh that this this infrastructure around them is, is really encouraging.

F

I'm Anthony, uh Crossing uh I have the privilege of being the director of the Boston area health education center at the Boston Public Health commission, which is a youth Pathways to health career program um and the goal of all of our programs uh within the commission and our youth summer enrichment program is to promote the physical, social and emotional health of Boston's teams to build the foundation for academic success, Community leadership and uh and Future Health.

F

um So doing the we've been partnering with successlink and um uh Department of engage youth engagement and employment for for a while now for years, and we've seen the the advancements that it's made and I think that's been really encouraging uh and it allows us to do what we do and work with more young people over the course of the summer. During summer 2022 we worked with 140 students from over 30 schools, all residents of Boston um connected with us through success link through the city's office of Youth Employment and opportunity.

F

60 percent of the students identified as female 37 percent male and three percent prefer not to answer and over 90 percent of the students identified as black or latinx and 60 percent of students lived in either Dorchester, Roxbury or Madison.

F

uh Over the summer, students participate in academic enrichment to better prepare for when they return to school in the fall. I think we all know that over the summer between cookouts and swim parties, we listen. We miss a lot.

F

um Our students retain what they learn and get a gear up before they go back to school from what they do over the course of the summer. They also participate in professional development opportunities to update their skills necessary to realize a positive experience in school and and where they participate in internships throughout the city for Real Time exposure and in various Health Fields places like Tufts, Dental or Boston Medical Center. We have a really good relationship with the Boston Medical Boston University Medical Campus, which has really been helpful.

F

There are five different programs, though bayheck or the Boston area. Health education center is not the only program within the Boston Public Health commission's youth summer enrichment programs. There are five different programs that students can participate in and all with the slightly different Focus, for example, and start strong students focus on the prevention of teen, dating violence and the promotion of healthy relationships, while in the violence, intervention and prevention program, students explore the roots of violence and ways to address them in three neighborhoods of Boston, most impacted by violence and across the programs.

F

There is, is great, Synergy around four real uh domains or alignment areas that we consider, because, with everyone doing so much, the question is: how do you evaluate? How do you find the sweet spot where you can say where's the efficiency of the program and our alignment areas are around Public, Health fundamentals, social justice, self-care and Youth, Development and Leadership. So students participate in electives. We call them to develop or enhance positive mental health techniques, coping strategies through expression.

F

Some of these electives include yoga, mindfulness, boot, camp dance, black history spoken word and Affinity groups like brother to brother or sister talk or Community for students identifying as lgbtq for 14 years I've had the privilege of working um with students enrolled at bayheck and I can attest that these programs are making a tremendous impact.

F

We've witnessed students who would not say one word at the beginning of Summer and ended by Leading presentations in front of it, and that's that's huge one. On one occasion we had a student who participated in a junior responder course.

F

uh First responder course over over the time with us, and we were blown away when she sent us an email stating that a neighbor of hers needed and required a first respondent, and she was that first respondent, and so she was able to manage things before the ambulance came, and she was you can imagine how proud she was of that opportunity and that excitement, and we prepared her for that and the resources that we talk about today, allowed for an opportunity for her to prepare for for that completion of Graham.

F

All students completed an evaluation to assess the overall impact of the program on an individual basis, and it's notable that that all of those alignment areas that we talked about we've seen growth in over the course of the most recent summer. In summers before students reported that they appreciated the opportunity to network with other students, they felt the stronger sense of responsibility to social justice and realized greater efficacy related to leadership.

F

They were empowered by the discussions and messaging around self-worth, taking care of yourself and communicating thoughts and feelings. They talked about identifying and pursuing personal educational and professional goals.

F

So we're looking forward to working with our partners across Administration to make the next summer or this summer a similar success, and thank you for your time and thank you for opening this space happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Thank.

A

You um Ted Lombardi. Would you like to share what you.

G

Have to share good morning, everyone thank you. Councils for being here appreciate the opportunity to share what we're doing and I, don't think. I can say much more about the sort of philosophies and efficacy of this programming.

G

More than what Rashad and Anthony have already said, I mean this is really um a huge tool for us to connect students to engaging activities in the summer to continue their education through the summer, also to attach our students to some of the career Pathways that they're already in it's one of the primary buckets of work for our for the office that I work in the office of secondary schools, that we are expanding our career Pathways and want to attach, as many students to relevant summer jobs to the career pathway, programming that they're in, so that they can continue that work and that learning through the summer.

G

Those are all perfectly in keeping to to what we are trying to do in BPS. I think the thing that I can add and I'll be I'll be fairly brief. You know I think what we're trying to do is be the real connective tissue between this programming and students at ground level, and what the the way that we are trying to do that this year, kind of in give that a bit of a a super boost in the in in a year where we want to engage students with more in-person learning.

G

Hopefully we're able to not have as many restrictions as we've had in past summers, with students being able to engage in person is we're utilizing our family Liaisons, which are who are in every school they're partnering with our pick career Specialists that are also uh in in all of our schools, to connect with students connect with families, make sure that these opportunities are well broadcast. Well advertised.

G

um You know, distributed at classroom level, not just not just posters in the hallway, but at classroom level with you know, with people that students in the school that students and families trust and know- um and we believe that will give us better results this year in terms of student and family engagement. The other piece to this from our end is we asked our family Liaisons also to be well versed as well as our helpline employees.

G

So folks can also call the BPS helpline and get a knowledgeable person who understands what the summer job opportunities are and what the process is to apply and can get some assistance that way as well. But we also ask both the helpline and our family liaison should also be well versed in our summer offerings for summer school through school, so that we can be more of a full-service stop for families.

G

So if you have a student in, you know fifth grade that you're looking for a summer school opportunity, a student in 10th Grade who you're looking for a summer job. You can do that in one meeting and one one opportunity. So those are things we're trying to do to sort of simplify that process, for our students and for our families to just engage more uh more of them in the process to get more more kids in summer jobs and in summer programming this year,.

A

Thank you, I'll, just open it up for questions from my colleagues and counselor Murphy. Would you like to.

B

Start and thank you for your presentations on you signed me up for.

F

Some of your summer.

B

Jobs, those opportunities were great. um One thing you said tied into one of the questions I have um like: are there neighborhoods? Are there groups we're missing? Are there kids in certain? You know, parts of the city that just are not accessing these jobs for whatever reason- and you had mentioned- that a lot of your partners- um you get kids from the Roxbury Dorchester Mattapan neighborhood and you do great work with them. um So Rashad. Do you see that, like?

B

What does the data show us, because we know there's like a total number of jobs that get filled but who's getting those jobs right, so I definitely want to push us a little to say um who are we not connecting with? Because.

A

B

Definitely connecting with a lot of kids and a lot of kids benefit, and you know even the council is all have stories you know their own um summer, youth jobs or their kids. You know gaining so much from it. So do you know if there's certain groups of kids you're worried the most about that aren't connecting with these opportunities, yeah.

E

I think that you know we, um we have seen just wide distribution in terms of the makeup of the youth that participate in these summer jobs and we have seen wide distribution of employers across neighborhoods as well I mean as far as East Boston. You know, we've had a number of conversations with a few organizations.

E

You know that wanted to increase job opportunities for young people in the East Boston community, and you know- and there are employers there- that that are part of the youth jobs program and I know that we want to do a better job of expanding job opportunities for young people in East, Boston I would also say in the Brighton area as well um and I. Think there's about two or so youth job Partners in that Community young people tend to prefer jobs.

E

You know that, are you know close to close to home, or you know that they can. Actually, um you know access via public transportation and that it doesn't take. You know about an hour or so to get to um so I think um you know we have seen just a small number of jobs in those communities and neighborhoods um and I think we can, you know, do a better job of identifying more partner organizations.

E

um You know in those areas, but definitely just Roxbury, Dorchester Mattapan I mean a large number of our. You know. Partners are in those neighborhoods I'm there. For you know a large number of young people in those communities I mean in those neighborhoods I make up a larger percentage as well.

B

Awesome, thank you and I I do want to shout out. We have two journalist students here who I spoke with earlier, and that was one of her questions and we're like ah there's certain neighborhoods. So it's good to hear like East, Boston Brighton. It kind of makes sense when we think of out there on Islands kind of on their own. But that's good for us to know too, to maybe connect with more businesses or non-profits in those neighborhoods to connect with youth jobs is important.

B

um You mentioned the working papers. I mean I, remember trying to figure that out myself too, and it's it's a lot right and even all the different checkoff boxes, and we have to be honest- some kids don't have the support right. So how about we going to help kids get those signatures and what? What can we do in um consulate and mentioned how it's great that we're having this conversation now, because almost all of our conversations lead up to the budget and which departments need more support?

B

So, do you see a need in your office, your department to have like someone, that's committed to you know just working papers because I know most of it does go through the school level. You know you're told oh, go to your guidance. Counselor ask the secretary at school, so it's mostly through like BPS or the school you're at. But do you see a need in your office to kind of help get that done at your level so that you then can connect them directly with the jobs you have to offer yeah.

E

I think BPS is a huge partner in this effort. We have had some conversations around ways to streamline. You know the work permit process. You know, and you know, Catherine Chu, who is the director of guidance over at BPS? um You know she has been around for a very very long time and you know I think she knows firsthand what it takes to make sure young people are getting. You know the support they need at a BPS level in terms of paperwork, I. Think for the work permit itself.

E

I really think that it is a conversation that we need to have um you know just with the state around digitizing on the process.

E

um You know the we we've attempted, as you know, as a city, you know through our office to create a digital signing mechanism through DocuSign for the work permit process in which it has worked. For you know just those you know those young people and parents that are, you know that are Savvy that are going to just you know, navigate back and forth. You know terms of just a dig: a digital signature, they're going to check your emails, but I think in partnership with pick because they experience this.

E

You know as well the partnership with ABCD, um you know in BPS, I think we we just need to have a conversation around whether or not the process can be digitized um just from a state level. So I think that that's that's a strategy and then one of the other ideas around the work permit process is whether or not we can think about. Having you know the you know the nurses at BPS sign off.

E

Instead of a physician you know, and and whether or not you know that's, you know that's doable as well, so I think we need. We do need to Circle back around to get some answers to some of those questions, um but I think those are just some thoughts that we've had. We know that the work permit process is a requirement. So really it's, how do we streamline? How do we make it easier for young people? So those are just some of the ideas that we discussed.

B

Awesome. Thank you, um lastly, about getting the communication out there. I think of um you know like CPA they're dating Brown's office. There was you know we had all this money and then people were realizing as years went by and we were awarded grants like wait. What is this? You know Community preservation act, how do I become a part of it and I feel like I, hear those same conversations about some of these great youth summer jobs so like are we investing enough?

B

You mentioned you know it's a poster out of school or maybe it's near the guidance counselor's door or when you go to get a work papers, but are we like putting ads on buses? Are we I know I've seen like 3-1-1 just yesterday shared out?

B

You know that the success link is open and I, see on social media that it will pop up on my feed in lots of different places from different city departments, but are there other ways that we could support you in getting that word out there, or can we push to have the administration? You know, invest in more money to get the word out there. If it's posters around the city or.

E

Yeah, we um I think more support um is always welcomed um to make sure that we are reaching every corner of every neighborhood um and- and that's you know, just deploying a team of folks from city council offices.

E

um You know to distribute flyers and pollsters, you know and small, like in small businesses. You know in community organizations that has been a part of our strategy of the last three weeks. You know our our core team, which is communication, Outreach, Recruitment and engagement team. You know, has distributed promotional materials widely across the city. We have gotten to every high school.

E

We have gotten to you, know a large number of the community-based organizations, um some of the small businesses, um but you know I think that we can always use support with um you know getting the information you know to more folks. um So definitely I would say yes there. You know we. We have had conversations with our department of innovation and Technology around MBTA advertisement.

E

We did do MBTA advertisement a few years ago, and then we haven't, we haven't advertised on MBTA really since the pandemic- and this is a really great year to kind of get back to that level of advertisement. But those conversations are happening on what to do with Team to get.

E

You know some of the material up and some of them the major train stations, where a lot of young people you know are commuting and on some of the bus stations and even on some of the um you know, the bus shelters as well, which is owned by the city. So we've had those conversations to get post more new jobs information there we're having a a pretty uh pretty big youth jobs and resource Fair on April 22nd at the Reggie Lewis Center. We have seen you know tremendous success.

E

You know from this event 2018 2019, and that was the last time. We've done this event right, so we're pretty excited. You know that this youth jobs and resource Fair will be an added engagement strategy to connect young people to jobs, we're asking for all of our employers and partners to attend the shoot, jobs and resource Fair.

E

Recruitment and registration has already begun for young people as well. So the registration is open to get young people to the event. We are asking employers to to strongly consider making a job offer to those young people that attend right so that it's it's. It's also an incentive that, if you show up, you know, there's a strong chance that you know you could be offered a job right and that's what we want. We want to use that event. You know, as you know, that you know initiative the connect yeah young people.

B

Thank you. Thank you, chair thank.

A

You Country Murphy, come to Louisiana.

C

Thank you, councilor Braden, and thank you again to the panelists for being here. I'm Rashad I think you um Dr Cope I want to thank you for all the work that you do.

C

um We know that there's a lot of energy on the council um and I just hope that you always appreciate and accept that energy is everyone looking out for our kids, so um you talked about as Council Murphy started. Asking these questions about paperwork. Is it? Is there less paperwork for a young for a young kid if they want to work at Target, then if they want to get a job through success like it's, the same amount of paperwork, yeah.

E

If you're hiring a young person as an employee, all right, you know there's I-9, which is just required in the I-9. You know, there's a list, a item not to get too much into details, but a list. A item is like a passport or you have to have a list B and C item which could be you know, School proof, so report card or school ID and birth certificate and Social Security card right. So i9s are required at Target.

E

You know City if you're hiring a young person as an employee, we've tried to you know scale back like the providing proof of residency right, because we know that our young people, their BPS students, you know they're, um you know their medical students, their charter, school students, so asking for proof of residency is one area in which we have talked about just trying to be a little bit more flexible in terms of just not having young people like find a bill. You know that they actually need to produce, but yeah. It's largely.

C

The same, thank you and during the pandemic, I know that there was some flexibility that employers were. It was murky, but some flexibility around doing this because, as a lawyer, this issue came up from where I was working prior. Some flexibility in accepting digitized is that happening like? Where does that stand? I know you talked about it, but like? Is there more flexibility now around I-9s and the forms in which we're able to accept and.

E

Yeah, it was lodging around just digitized social security cards. um You know made like a copy of it because I think original, um you know I-9 requirements. You know acts for, like you, know the original car the original birth certificate. So we are still accepting just copies of those documents.

C

And that's been, that's been fine yeah.

E

That has been it's been helpful, I would say counselor, but um you know new, like the new 14 year olds, the new 15 year olds. You know that are just coming into the youth jobs program for the first time, I think we often see you know that group, you know with um you know, just challenge challenges: navigating collecting paperwork.

A

E

16 year old, 17 year old that participated for a few years, you know I think they have the paperwork together because they understand what's needed from prior participation. um I would say great.

C

um And you talked about parody, which I think is important. So if you could, if you repeat what is like a young student, how much are they making via success? Lincoln? Do you know what the comparison is via? Like the you know, job on the market, whether that be a Target or a Stop and Shop, or a hardware store or whatever yeah.

E

I think we know, as of last year, like Target, you know Stop and Shop a young person. You know Target Amazon, not really sure about Stop and Shop actually, but a young person was able to earn about 17 18 an hour.

E

um The youth jobs program for the city is paying 14 to 18 year olds at minimum wage state minimum.

C

Can you repeat that.

E

14. 14 to 18 year olds at State minimum wage, which is 15 an hour, and then we um we're paying those 19 or 24 year olds at 17 an hour uh which is you know, an additional two dollars above minimum wage.

C

What would it cost me I mean you may not have the math off the. If you do back of the napkin that math, what would it cost basic to increase? What we're offering to our young kids via success, link by two dollars an hour yeah.

E

um Yeah I can get those numbers to you, but I feel like it's probably like a a through about a four percent increase in a total budget, but I can actually get that entire figure um and- and those discussions you know, are happening. I think we have to think about the impact across the labor market.

E

um You know when we talk about just.

A

E

Wages, for you know a 14 year old, making 17 an hour when the minimum wage is 15 an hour. For you know other adults. You know that are earning.

C

um So sometimes their parents in their own house right.

E

Yeah so I think we have to have a real just honest conversation around. You know like just around that you know and making sure that we are we're making the right decision. You know if we are looking to increase. You know just hourly rates for young people. You know and that's not happening for you know. Just you know the larger labor market as well.

C

Okay, two last questions. um One is uh for you, um one is you so you know that there are a number of summer jobs that went unfulfilled last year, correct- and you may have stated this, but just for Clarity on the record. What are the top three reasons or top two or start with the first reason, and that's the case and Then followed by just so that I can line it up with what our, what our, what our biggest pushes need to.

E

Be yeah, I think the largest reason last year is um you know the the the the goal to increase jobs to 6 000 as opposed to five thousand. It came after we've identified all of our partners and after we allocated out all of our jobs right. So then we allocated out 5 000 jobs, because that was the actual goal, um and then we did increase that to six thousand. um But at that point many partner organizations had already moved forward with their planning, and they really you know just it was a tough so.

C

A timing question yeah.

E

For us to go back and ask them to do more, some of them did do more, but not everyone so I think having this year. There is a goal. You know on the front end much earlier so organizations and partners who most of these jobs have time to plan to help us reach those goals.

C

And so how many did we fulfill? Did we feel last year.

E

um Four thousand five hundred and sixty seven I think that's the numbers short while ago.

C

um And our employers fully covered be a success. Link like the cost of taking on the student. Are they like the city of Boston, fully covers them? We.

E

Fully cover the wage participant and we're also providing 11.5 overhead for those organizations that are receiving the grant funding to pay the young people great.

C

Great um Madam chair am I. Doing do I have time for.

A

um Yes, you have time for one more and then I want to recognize. Counselor and Worrell has joined us, so he will have an opportunity to ask us questions so.

C

Was there an opportunity, okay, I'm gonna, ask me: okay um quickly, it was there an opportunity with so there was that gap of 1500 jobs that sort of were unfunded via summer jobs. Is there an opportunity for us? Do we have the technical framework to do it to to roll those jobs over into year-long jobs, year-round jobs, and are we doing that because that's that's something that I would like to see and I've been approached by a lot of our organ.

C

A lot of organizations serving young people in the 19 to 24 age range, so I would love to see us increase our capacity to offer job opportunities for young adults in.

E

That age range, yep, I, will say yes to both of those our goal. This current school year going in was 1500 jobs right now and I'll we're still not work.

E

We finish our hiring for the school year, but right now, there's over 1800 young people that are working during the school year, because we actually did take some of that funding from the summer and rolled that into the school year, which allowed us to employ more young people and then yes to your second question as well in terms of providing more job opportunities in that 19 and 24 year old population. We do have more jobs this year. For for that age group as well. Thank.

C

You Dr, copen, I, think you and whatever you need to help build out the infrastructure of your office so that you are able to support our young people. You have one mini last question for um Anthony. You know thank you for being here. I also have to look up. I'm like this man is either a minister, a pastor, a rapper, a singer, just a lyrical present of the information I just was so attuned. So thank you for being here um with respect to exposing our young kids to careers and like the mental health space I'm.

C

Just wondering- and this is my my interest areas- can, we think about you- know apprenticeship, type programs for our young people in schools for them to become these guidance counselors that we need to become these social workers that we need. Do you do any of that and I'd love to hear about any thoughts that you may have on that.

F

C

Them for rules.

F

C

Like careers, like thinking about you, know, I think oftentimes, you can't be you know, you can't be what you can't say you don't have. You can't be what you don't have exposure to, and we know that we have an um unprecedented Mental Health crisis right now, with our young people really really struggling and I. Think who, better than young people to really think about I I they a lot of them, can identify the issue. But how can I see myself as part of the solution and maybe seeing themselves as part of the solution?

C

Is thinking about what a career would look like as one of the adults supporting our young kids, either as guys counselors social workers? You know psychologists, you know whatever have you that we need to further buttress our the support for our kids in our schools. Yeah.

F

So that's a great question and I think um it's the mission of the organization you know really to to diversify the pool of health professionals, and so they had centers on that, uh but there's certainly other Workforce Development opportunities for young people and internships, or that first step that they need to to realize a position there and make an impact in that way. And so uh you know we have a focus on. um You know: Behavioral Health, uh Public, Health, being within the Boston Public Health commission.

F

There are a lot of opportunities for them to shadow. um You know different uh fields and and disciplines and and beyond the summer, but also the academic year and think about. You know how can I make a living out of this and how can I give back and make an impact that way? So so, yes um and we're looking to do it more I think we you know to the more Partnerships. We have um the more opportunities that we learn about.

F

um You know we can create that Avenue for some of the young people too. Thank.

C

You thank you, madam chair. Thank you also uh Todd Lombardi, for me. No questions for you, but just thank you.

A

To work, thank you. Councilor division, councilor, Morrell,.

H

uh Thank you, chair Braden, and thank you to uh councilor Murphy for bringing this important matter to the city council and thank you to everybody on the panel um for all their work for with young people.

H

I also wanted to give a big shout out to director copen his team for um being a great and supportive partner and bringing on uh new partners this summer with our office, um and my question is around the data is I know we have 4 506 use jobs like last year and we're looking to get more how many Community Partners compared to last year. Have we added this year to kind of meet that need.

E

Yeah um I, don't have that number in front of me, but I would say that um we probably have um roughly about between 10 and 15 new community-based organizations, and then we have also engaged college and universities um to create a summit jobs higher education Consortium.

E

um So you know that is a huge effort to get young people engaged in jobs on college campuses as well. um So we're waiting to hear back from some of those colleges who are excited and willing to step up and and create and provide job opportunities, learn and earn opportunities on campus for college students as well. Awesome.

H

I love that idea that collaboration and I know when I was a young man 2016, oh man, a long time ago.

H

It was you know, basketball, basketball is all you wanted to do in bomb um during the summer and I love to learn and earn have you have you thought about playing Iron because every time I go to um um those gems way out there you see nothing but Boston um young, young men and women playing AAU. Have we thought about like a play and earn model yeah.

E

I mean I I, don't think intentionally. You know we, you know we have strategized around a planner model, um but I think by way of some of our partners, I mean Boston, Parks and Rec. You know, has a number of Sports Camps. You know that are happening during the summer and those Sports Camps are staffed by summer jobs. Participants.

E

um You know there are some sports programs across the city. Boston showstoppers is one of them. um You know like their summer job partner and young people. You know are working, you know and they're an au program, as you mentioned as well. I think we can. We can look down the list of all of our partner organizations um to get an idea of which ones are sports based.

E

um You have the bnbl program, that's happening across the city. Young people are being employed. You know to staff that program as well, um so so I think there is quite a bit. You know that is happening within the makeup of our current Partners got.

H

It um and just to continue advocacy for the year around um jobs, that's something that I would love to just make sure that we're trying to build up a lot more throughout the school year. uh Thank you, madam chair.

A

Thank you, counselor Worrell I had a few questions. Just um let's see in terms of just the groups that we had reached I'm a little concerned to hear that we've got two partners in Alston Brighton like Austin Brighton's, the second largest neighborhood in the city, so two youth jobs Partners seems a little a little on the slim side. So um what do we? How do we? How do we go about recruiting new partners.

E

Yeah so there's a couple of things that we've done: um we identify just community-based organizations across the city and we have our team reach out to those community-based organizations to gauge their their interests and be in the summer jobs partner. So that is one way in which we've recruited new partners, um and then um you know it's kind of just through you know our school Partners as well, just identifying which organizations are partnering with some of our schools as well.

A

Okay and the other issue, um it comes to mind as I have a background in in working in a special education setting and and and developing uh a portfolio of work experience for our students with disabilities. Like is there any attention given to those students who uh want to build up their resume and have some job experience who maybe have an IEP? Maybe that might be a question for our BPA and BPS folks, or any of you can answer that question yeah.

E

I mean I can just jump in first I. Think one of our largest youth jobs, Partners, um has been the BPS stride program. They have participated every year, they do provide um roughly about between 120 to 100 and like 60 or so job opportunities to students with disabilities um and I know that they, you know, they've been an incredible partner. Young people are engaged, you know, strive Wentworth, they have a Madison Park program.

E

um You know they have a disc program as well, which is so I, don't know if you want to speak a little bit more about stride, but they have been the largest youth jobs partner for that population.

G

Yeah, no I think that's perfect, Richard and I. Think the other thing I would. The only other thing I would add, is a lot of the work. The in-person work is sort of really attaching students to areas of interest and ability right and that's that's. That is the work of doing this sort of one by one student by student, family by family work through the Liaisons and the and the pick Specialists.

G

So um you know, there's you know strive takes care of sort of a big, a big bucket, but I think a lot of that work is really individualized in terms of you know having an ability mindset towards students, what what can they interact with? What what are they going to be successful with that can be attach them to the right thing at the outset,.

A

Yeah, so you work off their student profile to see what their their strengths and and weaknesses are and then try and get a good match, and that takes a lot of like one-to-one exactly um and I'm also curious in terms of our Outreach menu of folks. Do we do we reach out to BHA and and the different communities across the city? We we have a lot of our young people actually live in in in BHA.

A

um Do we do we reach out to those folks, yeah.

E

We um you know, BHA is also one of our youth job Partners as well, um and we have gotten into some of the um the Housing Development um to engage young people. So yeah.

A

um Let's see and then I'm curious, you know, you said the young adults, the 19 to 24 year olds, um and they what do we have any metrics of those?

A

Do they just work for the summer and those the sort of groups that we would provide like 1 to 24 you you're, really and those those college students are are here for the summer and go back to college in the fall or are those are those students who've, maybe left our high schools and are not fully employed and and want to build their resumes like who exactly are those 19 to 24 year olds?.

E

Yeah largely they are college age students, um not so much of that that that older, disconnected population, although we do see some of those, um you know, young adults participate in the youth jobs program. I think I think the challenge for the disconnect the young adults is. You know the youth jobs program, it's short term right, so it there's always an end period um and those you know those young adults are looking for longer term employment opportunities but yeah, it's mostly just college students.

E

You know that, are you know just leaving you know during the school year coming back for the summer um and they're connected to some of these non-profit organizations, because they want where a youth jobs participant.

A

So and then just to drill down into this disconnected population like we've, had that incredible disruption in the last three years with with covid, and there are students who graduated from from school at high school and they're, definitely disconnected they're, not on a they're, not on a career path, and and are we doing any remedial action to try and reconnect with those students who maybe left school um in the middle of covid and and and sort of a drift a little you know are we are we making sure that?

A

Are we trying to address that population yeah.

E

I would say that um so there's the real traditional, short-term youth jobs, program right and then there's you know like there's some funding from youth Works, which is funding from the state um to think about ways in which we can further.

E

um You know, develop a strategy around connecting with that population, so the youth Works funding through Commonwealth Corporation, um that's being managed by Katie Gall and the office of Workforce Development. There has been engagement with a number of community-based organizations that do provide opportunities to that prudent Rich population. So there is a pro there is an initiative like a pilot initiative.

E

That's just wrapping up um to think about ways in which we, as a city, can be more intentional around reaching that young adult population, and there will be some funding provided to expand job opportunities for that population going into the summer and into the fall yeah.

A

Because I think that Segway into from you know a summer job experience and then into more year-round employment, if you're exploring different career options is really helpful and then how many students do we, how many young people do we end up having who have year-round jobs.

E

Yep, so this last year was what what number did I just share. I want to. This is on a record, so I want to make sure I'm always giving you guys the same number, yes yeah, roughly just over 1800 um this current school year. Okay,.

A

Okay, excellent, uh so it seems like um counselor Murphy. Do you have any other questions? No.

B

No thank you thank the panelists for coming and sharing and giving us work.

B

I was like leaving meetings knowing that we can partner and get our kids jobs because, as you know- and it was one of the reasons I made sure that the hearing order was written to include you know it is the financial piece we know some kids um are going to work because they need to help contribute to their family's Finance, but that's not all our kids and we really just need to get our kids out of the house and socializing working, and you know all of these opportunities for them to just become successful young adults supporting your department and everyone else who works alongside you.

B

This is definitely a goal, so thank you for sharing and we'll be in touch to make sure we continue to push these jobs out and we'll be at the job, fair for sure to support. Thank you.

C

I just have two more questions for you Derek to go, um one is, can you tell us, you told us the day of the fair, it's April 22nd? Do you have the evidence of the Reggie Lewis Fair large Lewis Center, but do you have the do you have the time 11.

E

C

P.M awesome um and then I think Council around may have asked a question that was someone similar, especially you're, talking about Brian being an arrow. We need to scale up um our jobs. What do our Partnerships look like with our universities, like Boston University, Harvard University, that could take on our young kids.

E

Yep so um so be you um Tufts Northeastern.

E

um Those are some of the college universities um that are coming aboard to provide some some job placements for this summer um and we're still waiting to hear back from a few more colleges and universities. But that's a new initiative this year to expand job opportunities on college campuses. Okay,.

C

Great and Harvard is included in that.

E

um Yeah Harvard's actually going to work directly with the Boston Private Industry Council.

C

E

There they're still a part of that.

C

E

Jobs, ecosystem.

C

Great, it's just important that our universities, who already you know, don't pay taxes and you are really leaning into the work of building up our young people. I mean this is also there's I mean Ted I, didn't ask you a question, but there's so much Synergy that we should be tapping into for our young people, all the institutions that we have here, we're talking about career, Readiness or college readiness or and we're talking about career readiness.

C

So many Industries here for our young people and I feel like sometimes there's some you know, and as an at large city, councilor there's. So many people having these conversations for our young people. I was recently at the base in um Roxbury before that. I was at United Southern settlements and one of the things I was talking about the base number one I was talking to them about success, link and you know they need to know about success, link and their ability to partner with you all. But there are just so many people.

C

Thinking about these questions and I just sometimes feel like I go to these meetings and, like oh I, just had this conversation with someone else who's trying to solve this question so like more Synergy around everyone coming to the table and like thinking about what efficacy really looks like here for our young people to be more targeted with our resources um and oftentimes, there's a sense of like you know and I'll. Just speaking, the nonprofit world world I was once a part of there's a sense of competition.

C

But really how do we build up our nonprofits to realize that the the depth of the problem um about making sure that our young people are engaged and and see a path and a life for themselves that they didn't necessarily see in their homes? um There's so much work to do that? There's enough room for everyone!

C

There's enough funding for everyone and if there's not enough funding, that's our job to really do the advocacy around that, but that I'm just putting that out there that I'd love to see more uh Synergy uh with all the folks working, whether it's on young, adult young, adult jobs, year-round jobs, summer jobs and all the non-profits, especially in our neighborhoods, where we know when our young people aren't engaged.

C

um That problems occur right. So I think about this work and I know you think about this work too, as prevention on the front end um and how are we making sure that we are building up whole people? And there are so many organizations and people either doing one-offs in this.

C

This work that I think that you know whether it's a conference or a symposium or a way of bringing everyone together um to really lean into this work, um Chad for you that might look like unions and on non-profits and our and all the people working around it and it may look different for you, director, cope, but I think that there's so much energy around solving this problem.

C

That I like to see a lot more collaboration and work together, not just here in the city and government, but with all of our partners on the ground, which I know you all are doing, but I think we could benefit from a lot like you know, conferences, talks being more strategic with how we work with our partners. So thank you. Thank you appreciate that.

A

um It seems like from our conversation we have a few action steps, uh the the digital application process and then figuring out at the state level. What what's the minimum requirement rather than uh and making it more streamlined, like I, think the idea that um you know accumulating all of these documents that folks, young people need like I, I, heard recently of young people who missed an opportunity to travel on a represent the city uh overseas because they couldn't they couldn't get their passports organized their fat.

A

You know, they're communicating with parents is complicated, so I think just trying to digitize the digital application process and trying to see how we can streamline as much and that again, as you said that that requires you know, working with the state at the state level and then also the just the the the issue about. You know needing a doctor's note to say that you're, Fit and Well and able to do the you know to be a for these jobs. I know myself getting a doctor's appointment with my PCP.

A

You know it's a couple of months out, so if you need a quick turnaround and the young person needs the doctor to sign off on something, uh you know, we need to really work and see if we can have uh have the the nurses in BPS being part of that solution as well. So you know I think again, I think if we all work together. If anything, we can do as City councilors to support this effort and help you please let us know, but I think it is a team effort and it is councilor.

A

Louisiana said it's preventative, it's very positive and very really empowering for our young people to get this exposure and get these jobs, and it's it's such an important piece of the work that we do not only developing our own future and future citizens, future residents and future city employees and possibly future city, councilors and and all the rest of it. So um I really appreciate all the great work you're doing and thank you for being here this morning. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This meeting is adjourned.

A