STL Youth Jobs is 'What's Right With the Region!'

ST. LOUIS -- STL Youth Jobs, now in its fourth year of providing jobs to youth, ages 16-24, in the City of St. Louis, is pleased to receive FOCUS St. Louis' What’s Right With the Region! award, which honors exemplary work in the category of Responding to Community Needs and Entrepreneurs. STL Youth Jobs is one of 20 organizations receiving this award, presented at the Sheldon Concert Hall this evening.  

STL Youth Jobs engages young adults in meaningful employment to reduce crime, increase academic success and build the skills needed to build a lasting career. Since 2013, STL Youth Jobs has provided nearly 1,400 youth with paid work experience, job readiness and financial literacy training, career and mentoring services.   

"We are honored to be recognized for this work, but the real credit goes to the young people who are creating the change that will result in a successful future for St. Louis," said Hillary Frey, Executive Director, STL Youth Jobs. "STL Youth Jobs is providing a platform to develop our region’s talented young people to be the next generation of leaders." 

STL Youth Jobs is a cross-sector collaboration made up of a diverse group of civic, corporate and community stakeholders. STL Youth Jobs strives to bridge the divide between the challenges facing our region’s youth and the growing demands of our local workforce. STL Youth Jobs utilizes its strategic partnerships to leverage resources and support, which allows for more St. Louis youth to be connected to meaningful summer work experiences. Collaborative and strategic partnerships include Mayor Francis Slay, the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), Comptroller Darlene Green, Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, the Incarnate Word Foundation, the St. Louis Community Foundation and MERS Goodwill.

With the help of public and private collaborative partners, STL Youth Jobs currently has financial support to provide 450 youth with training and summer employment opportunities. There are still opportunities to support an STL Youth Jobs’ participant in Summer 2016 and help STL Youth Jobs reach its goal of employing 500 youth. It costs $2,500 to fund one youth employee’s job. Individuals or corporations seeking to help fund a youth’s summer job can make a donation at stlgives.org/give-today (select STL Youth Jobs) or contact Sara Breed at sara@stlyouthjobs. Youth from the identified communities seeking summer employment should visit stlyouthjobs.org/apply.

For more information on STL Youth Jobs, visit www.stlyouthjobs.org, follow on Twitter @stlyouthjobs or visit Facebook www.facebook.com/stlyouthjobs.