SEATTLE –Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for African Americans, David J. Johns addressed several hundred Seattle Youth Employment Program participants annual event to celebrate the end of the summer session. Johns spoke to the interns about President Obama’s desire to restore the country to its role as a global leader in education and to improve educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages. Johns will talk about how the City’s investments in youth—which span, education, employment, violence prevention and health—prepare young adults for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives.
The City of Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) supports participants with comprehensive internship opportunities aimed at meeting the employment needs of underserved youth and young adults in our community. The program promotes work readiness and ultimately strengthens career development. In 2015, the City launched the Mayor’s Youth Employment Initiative (MYEI) which generated 2,000 job opportunities for underserved youth and young adults in Seattle in 2015, doubling the previous year’s efforts by leveraging partnerships with private-sector employers.
Mayor Ed Murray remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring youth and young adults in Seattle are achieving academic success, have opportunities for meaningful employment, are safe and free from justice system involvement, and are healthy, physically, socially, and emotionally. The Human Services Department invests more than $13M annually in youth services, including the Seattle Youth Employment Program
