Terry Spence Calls for Full Funding of Summer Jobs Program
Saying that summer jobs are a cost-effective investment in Delaware’s youths and communities, Speaker of the House Terry Spence is sponsoring legislation to fully fund the state’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
House Bill 1 seeks to appropriate $1 million in the upcoming budget (FY 2007) for the program that issues state grants to school districts, local governments and non-profit groups to hire teenagers over the summer. Approximately 300 teens are employed each summer by 30 different organizations. Officials with the Delaware Department of Labor, which administers the program, note that they usually receive funding requests to employ between 500 and 600 teens statewide.
“The $1 million I’m requesting would fully fund the program for this summer and allow us to honor all pending, eligible applications,” Speaker Spence said. “This money would help government and non-profit agencies perform work benefiting our communities, while giving these kids a constructive experience.”
According to Robert Strong, Director of the Division of Employment & Training, at least 73-percent of the teens employed in the program must be from households at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
“The money in House Bill 1 would help our most at-risk group of teenagers,” Speaker Spence said. “By fully funding this program, we’ll place hundreds of teens in positive activities instead of leaving them to their own devices for an entire summer. It’ll potentially prevent them from engaging in undesirable or even illegal activities.”
"A summer job is a vehicle of hope for many urban youths because it is a positive outlet for their time and energy and reduces the chances that they will be influenced by negative elements in the community,” said Wilmington Mayor James Baker. “The sponsors of House Bill 1 clearly recognize the importance of a summer job for a disadvantaged young person and the need to create more of these opportunities not only in the city, but throughout the state."
“Jobs are critical to keeping young people in Wilmington and throughout Delaware away from selling drugs and other criminal ventures they might get into,” said Wendell Howell, executive director of the Addictions Coalition of Delaware, Inc. “Summer jobs teach responsibility and help prepare teens for adult life. There’s no downside I can see to putting more teens to work over June, July and August.”
In addition to targeting disadvantaged youths, the grants are also distributed geographically, with a portion of the money earmarked for each portion of the state.
The funding contained in HB 1 would be broken down in the following manner:
City of Wilmington $570,000
New Castle County $180,000
Kent County $125,000
Sussex County $125,000
The funding in HB 1 reflects the same proportions as the funding for the program in the current budget.
“While I’m aware the state has many financial obligations, this proposal would require a relatively modest amount of money and would fully fund a worthy program for which we have a demonstrated need,” Speaker Spence said. “We have the means. I believe we should also have the will.”
Speaker Spence said the bill has broad, bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly.
The Speaker added that some have criticized the program in the past because it was focused solely on providing summer employment, not meaningful job experience. Some detractors also believe the private sector needs to do more to supply teen jobs.
“Those objections are not without some merit,” Speaker Spence said. “I’ll also be introducing a House Resolution to form a task force that’ll examine ideas for a new type of summer jobs initiative. The group will look at ways to not only link kids with summer jobs, but to also place them on career paths. I’ve heard from community leaders and labor officials alike that believe that we have an opportunity to do much more than we’re doing now. The task force will be mulling over these topics and returning with recommendations early next year for the General Assembly to consider.”
However, Speaker Spence said the limitations of the existing Summer Youth Employment Program should not prevent legislators from fully embracing it. “While we’re looking at ways to compliment this program with something more meaningful in the future, we should fully fund it in the present.”
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