Thousands of young Missourians explored careers in high-growth industries, added work experience to their resume, and earned a paycheck
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that 3,107 low-income youth participated in the inaugural Summer Job League, a workforce development program for Missourians ages 16 to 24 living in the greater St. Louis and Kansas City areas. Working with the local Job Centers, the Missouri Office of Community Engagement recruited 783 employers who offered summer employment and internships to these young Missourians.
“Through efforts like the Summer Job League, thousands of youth were able to explore careers and gain real-world work experience, while earning a paycheck,” Gov. Nixon said. “We are proud to have partnered with job creators in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas to continue developing a pipeline of talented and educated workers.”
Launched earlier this year, the Summer Job League offered low-income youth job opportunities working in high-tech and high-growth industries, such as IT, financial services, healthcare, business, bioscience and customer service. Organizations such as Magna Seating, thinkBIG and LNB Architecture & Interiors offered a variety of paid summer positions that exposed league workers to STEM-related occupations and assignments including architecture designing, patient care, and engineering.
In the Greater Kansas City area, 1,364 youth participated in the program and connected with 413 supporting businesses, including energy solutions firm Sungevity and healthcare corporation Research Medical Center. In the Greater St. Louis area, 370 employers provided summer employment to 1,743 area youth. Supporting businesses included marketing firm True Media, Ferguson Animal Hospital and Ranken Technical College.
Youth participating in the league were enrolled in accelerated work-readiness training at area career centers, where they learned soft skills and were matched with a business operating in a field of their interest. The league paid wages up to $8 an hour for up to 240 hours during the summer employment period. Eligibility was largely determined by household income, and positions were for candidates that needed these opportunities most.
Funding for the initiative came primarily from federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. Due to improving economic conditions and additional job growth, there was extra funding available through the TANF program, which could be used to provide services for young Missourians in families under 185 percent of the federal poverty level. Support for the program was also provided through federal Workforce Investment Act and Community Development Block Grant funds.
