The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP), a program of the Seattle Human Services Department, provides economically disadvantaged youth the opportunity to develop employment skills, explore careers, and meet individualized educational goals. This summer, SYEP received a generous $50,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation to serve an additional 16 youth. In this seven-week program, youth were placed at various high-growth sectors such as health care, trade/transportation and information technology, and involved private businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Site supervisors and SYEP employment counselors partnered throughout the summer to expose youth to green job and post-secondary options; develop work-readiness skills needed to increase employability; move youth onto well-paying careers; and move youth towards economic self-sufficiency.
