Posted by Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on March 25, 2014
Mayor Eric Garcetti today said that he will achieve his goal of doubling the city’s summer youth job program to serve 10,000 young people. He credited a new emphasis on public-private partnerships.
He was joined today by White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, City Council President Herb Wesson, City Councilman Joe Buscaino, The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert Iger, and representatives from Citibank.
“My first press conference as Mayor was to announce my commitment to double L.A.’s summer youth jobs program to serve 10,000 Angelenos. Today, I am proud to announce we will reach that goal, because we are working together, public and private, on this strategic investment in our youth and our future economy,” Mayor Garcetti said. “Too often, young people can fall behind during the summer when school is out. But our summer jobs program makes sure summer is a time for young people to get ahead by earning a paycheck, job skills, and financial education.”
“I am pleased that the Walt Disney Company is partnering with us through a $1 million commitment to our summer youth initiatives, and that Disney’s Chairman and CEO Bob Iger is personally involved. I can’t think of a better partner for our youth than Disney. I also want to thank Citibank and the Citi Foundation for their generous commitment and thank our other incredible partners.”
“We applaud the mayor’s commitment to leveraging the strength of both the public and private sectors to serve the youth of Los Angeles,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “Disney is proud to play a leading role in this effort with a $1 million donation to this year’s Summer Youth Programs to create opportunities for thousands of young people to gain skills and experience and participate in a wide variety of activities that will help them build bright futures.”
Since taking office, Mayor Garcetti has been laser focused on L.A.’s economy, the key component to his Back to Basics agenda. The Hire L.A.’s Youth initiative provides youth ages 14-24 the opportunity to learn workplace skills and take home that first paycheck. Their summer wages are dollars that will be reinvested right back into the L.A. economy and often go toward supporting working Angeleno families.
Companies interested in sponsoring or creating jobs or contributing funds as well as youth interested in applying for summer jobs should visit HireLAYouth.org to learn more. Donations for this summer should be submitted by July 1, 2014. The application period for summer jobs is now open.
Hire L.A.’s Youth is a cross-sector partnership of the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles City Council, the County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and numerous private and public sector partners, with the Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department leading implementation.
“L.A.’s summer jobs program is a smart investment that sets our kids on a path toward lifelong success – and in doing so, strengthens our neighborhoods and our city’s economy as a whole. The return on our investment is a stronger future for them, their kids, and all of Los Angeles. I know that this is a key priority of the President’s, and I am proud that we are showing a way forward here in Los Angeles,” Mayor Garcetti said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, youth who miss out on an early work experience are more likely to endure future unemployment. Last week, a report by the Brookings Institute revealed that from 2000 to 2012, the L.A. metro area’s teen employment rate fell nearly 15 percentage points, ranking L.A. 98th on a list of 100. “That is unacceptable and we are going to change that,” Mayor Garcetti said.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $45 billion in its Fiscal Year 2013. Additional information may be found at TheWaltDisneyCompany.com.
About Citigroup, Inc.
Citi, a leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at CitiGroup.com.
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