Summer Jobs for Teens

Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1527-a to read as follows:

§ 1527-a. Summer youth employment and career development program. 1. There shall be a summer youth employment and career development program supervised by the board of education and administered by guidance counselors of each district. The program shall encourage the development of part time and full time minimum wage paying internship positions for high school students, provide students with job training, placement services and career counseling and assist high school faculty in developing and implementing a curriculum to provide students with work-competency training.

2. Subject to the provisions of subdivision one of this section, each high school in the state shall have guidance counselors as permitted by budget allocations therefor: acting as liaisons between directors of all employment-related programs within the school, including cooperative education programs, training opportunities programs and school to employment programs; conducting job and career fairs; organizing field trips to local businesses, job fairs and career centers; compiling and maintaining current lists of all internship placements available including full-time and part-time employment opportunities; soliciting employment opportunities for high school students from employers representing the public sector, private sector, community-based organizations and internship programs based on the current curriculum and geographical need of the district; endeavor to increase internship opportunities and

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD00698-01-7

S. 2451 2

develop other work-experience programs for students; assisting students in securing full-time and part-time summer employment; providing training in resume drafting and interviewing skills to program participants; and continuing to provide job placement and counseling services to program participants for one year subsequent to graduation.

3. Each school operating a summer youth employment and career development program shall be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to facilitate such program as deemed necessary by the commissioner and board of education, and shall be used to accommodate program staff to facilitate student career training and counseling.

§ 2. The sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of education from any monies in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the local assistance account for purposes of providing for the state's share of the necessary appropriation to the state board of education for the operation of the summer youth employment and career development program established by this act provided, however, that no expenditures shall be made available from this appropriation for any purpose unless and until an appropriation to such board of education is made and then only in amounts matching such moneys paid to such board of education. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of education, or his or her duly designated representative in the manner provided by law. Consistent with the foregoing provisions of this act, no expenditure shall be made from this appropriation until a certificate of approval of availability shall have been issued by the director of the budget and filed with the state comptroller and a copy filed with the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee. Such certificate may be amended from time to time by the director of the budget and a copy of each such amendment shall be filed with the state comptroller, the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee.

§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.