Creates youth employment and career development program in N.Y. city high schools administered by N.Y. city board of education; appropriation

BILL NUMBER:A5202A

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to creat- ing a youth employment and career development program and making an appropriation therefor

Purpose

To create a program in New York City high schools to encourage the development of job opportunities for high school students and gradu- ates who need jobs and coordinate their work and schooling in order to allow time for earning a high school diploma while they are employed.

Summary of provisions

The bill establishes a "Youth Employment and Career Development Program" operated by the Board of Education and located in high school buildings. The program is required to operate like a business, 8-hour day, 5 days per week, all year. It will provide students with job training, placement services and career counseling. The program would be run in each high school that requests a program and each school would have a job coordinator, career counselor and other support staff as necessary. Programs would be initiated by the principal of the high school who would place a written request to the Chancellor. While the bill provides for a phase-in of these programs, all high schools may have such a program within 3 years of enactment of the legislation.

Justification

Many students find it a necessity to work in order to help support their family. Jobs are difficult to find, driving some youngsters to illegal activities and preventing them from being able to attend school during regular school hours. The New York City Partnership has established a pilot program called "New York Working." This program, which was expanded to 16 high schools, has been showing great promise in helping students find jobs and still attend school. Over 3,000 students have been place in full-time, part-time, or summer jobs in the past year.

However, the Partnership funds for the program have been exhausted. Half of the high schools that have a "New York Working" program have had to eliminate the career counselor an integral part of the program. Such a successful program should be expanded, not left to die. This bill would-make sure that in fact it is expanded and institutionalized.

Legislative history

2003-2004 S.2312/A.5092; 2005-2006 A.7356; 2007-08 A5040 - referred to education

Fiscal implications

$15 million impact when fully implemented.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately; provided, howev- er, that the amendments to section 2590-g of the. education law made by section one of this act shall survive the expiration. and reversion of such section as provided by section 34 of chapter 91 of the laws of 2002, as amended.