When it comes to the world of work, young people often want what adults want: a career with a promising future. But the path to getting there can be daunting for teenagers and young adults. That’s where the Mayor’s summer jobs program can help. This annual program creates meaningful employment opportunities for Oakland youth and recruits and trains the next generation of skilled future employees
“The more that we expose teens and young adults to the world of work, the more we set them up for successful futures.”
The summer jobs program is coordinated by the City of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board, which funds and supports several local community-based organizations that provide training, mentoring, educational enrichment and related services to Oaklanders ages 16 to 24. Summer jobs are designed to help youth prepare for the world of work by gaining valuable skills, experience and confidence that furthers their pursuit of career, academic and personal goals.
In 2021, the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation supported the Mayor’s summer jobs program and helped secure funding to place more than 300 youth into part-time, paid positions. The Oakland Workforce Development Board prioritizes services for youth who are Black, Latinx, Native American or Pacific Islander. The program also provides these opportunities to youth who are not connected to the traditional school system as well as youth who are not working. Many of the participants reside in East Oakland, Fruitvale and West Oakland and have little to no previous work experience. Youth complete about 20 hours of job-readiness training and 100 hours of paid work experience in order to meet the objectives of the program.
